Page 12 - SAINT HADRIAN’S CHURCH

Adriano Mazziotti

the province of Salerno, and remained under it for eighteen
years. It is since this period that the church began to take
on the today's Norman-Romanesque architectural
appearance, to know the season of a great economic and
financial prosperity and to enjoy the donation of several
privileges by the Norman conquerors, perpetuated even
by the Swabian sovereigns in the 13th century and later by
the Anjous.

In 1106, the Duke Roger Borsa restored the autonomy of the
monastery of Saint Hadrian, which in 1115 became the seat
of the Archimandrite Greek rite. Between the second half of
the 12th century and the first half of the 13th century the
church was rebuilt, enlarged with three aisles and
decorated with fine artworks. Later it also enjoyed
administrative autonomy, thanks to which the abbot
managed the feudal properties.

In 1794, by the Bourbon King Ferdinand IV's decree, the
ancient abbey was suppressed to be absorbed by the
“Collegio Corsini”. The monks of the Greek rite were
ousted and replaced by a new
authority, the “Bishop-President” of the
Collegio, and the vast possessions of
the monastery were confiscated by the
new Institute.

The centuries-old temple is dedicated
to “Adriano and Natalia”, who lived in
the second half of the 3th century in
Nicomedia (Turkey), where Hadrian
was a soldier in the Roman army
under the emperor Diocletian or

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