Santuario di Sant'Anna, Catholic shrine in Lettere, Italy

The Santuario di Sant'Anna is a pilgrimage church in Lettere with a single nave measuring approximately 36 meters long, 10 meters wide, and 16 meters high. The interior is straightforward in layout, designed to accommodate visitors who come to pray.

The shrine was founded in 1570 after Pope Pius V approved construction of a new church to replace an older cathedral nearby. The building was completed around 1600, with the distinctive bell tower added later in 1706.

The church is the seat of the parish of Santa Maria Assunta and San Giovanni Battista and was the cathedral of the suppressed diocese of Lettere. Inside, Saint Anne is venerated as patroness of the town; her chapel was completed in 1721 under Bishop Domenico Galisio. The bronze portal of 1982 by Tommaso Gismondi shows her carried in procession, with the castle of Lettere behind.

Access is via a piperno stone staircase leading to a bronze entrance portal created by sculptor Tommaso Gismondi in 1982. Visitors should allow time to explore the religious artworks and the sacristy, where several treasures are on display.

The bronze portal, cast by Tommaso Gismondi in 1982 and weighing about twenty quintals, has nine panels: eight show New Testament scenes from the Annunciation to the Assumption, while the large upper panel depicts Saint Anne carried in procession with the castle of Lettere behind her. The frame carries grape and wheat motifs and the coats of arms of Pope John Paul II and Bishop Antonio Zama.