In recent days, in the wake of the October 4th celebrations for Saint Francis (now a national holiday), there has been talk of a church dedicated to him, and of his supposed primacy: the Porziuncola, located inside the large Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli in Assisi, has been presented as the smallest church in the world. Yet, the primacy does not belong to this place, but to another church, which is located in Spain inside a monument.
The Porziuncola is an important Franciscan church
The Porziuncola (from Latin Portiuncolai.e. small plot of land) dates back to the 4th century. Dedicated to Santa Maria degli Angeli, it was entrusted to the Benedictines over the centuries and was abandoned for a long time. According to tradition, it was repaired by Saint Francis after his vocation, and was donated to him by the Benedictines together with the surrounding territory. Here he welcomed Saint Clare on the night of Palm Sunday 1211: he gave her the habit, starting a new form of evangelical life: the Order of Poor Ladies, today known as the Poor Clares.
It was also here that Saint Francis founded the Order of Friars Minor (i.e. the Franciscan order) and here you can receive the famous “Forgiveness of Assisi”, that is, the plenary indulgence: Saint Francis asked and obtained from the Catholic Church, and specifically from Pope Honorius III, that all those who visited the Porziuncola would have their sins forgiven. The celebration of Forgiveness attracts thousands of pilgrims seeking peace to the Porziuncola every year.
The smallest church in the world is located in Malaga
According to the Guinness World Record, the record for the smallest church in the world goes to Santa Isabel de Hungría, in Benalmádena, in the province of Malaga (Spain, Costa del Sol). It has a surface area of just 1.96 square metres, distributed irregularly, and is consecrated: one person enters here at a time.
It was built inside the Castillo de Colomares, which despite its name is not a castle but a monument dedicated to Christopher Columbus and built by Esteban Martín Martín between 1987 and 1994. With its 1500 square metres, it is the largest monument to Columbus, and even contains a Chinese pagoda, symbol of Columbus’ idea of reaching East Asia.
What are the other churches that claim the title
Although only the one in Malaga has the “certification” of the smallest church in the world, and the square meters to prove it, there are several cities that would like to claim this record for their religious buildings or that have tried.
The Living Water Wayside Chapel, a tiny white building nestled between two trees next to Walker’s Country Market, claims to hold the record for example, but as we know, this is not the case. It was built in 1964 by the Niagara Falls Christian Reformed Church, and stands on an area of approximately 7 square meters.
Another example is the Bethel Chapel, which is located in Uganda, in the Nebbi district, and which can accommodate only three people, including the priest: built around 1996, it is managed by the Anglican Church of Uganda.
How can we not mention the Church of San Trillo, the smallest in Great Britain: with seating for six people, it dates back to the beginning of the 16th century and was perhaps built on the site of an older church at the behest of the Cistercian monks of Aberconwy Abbey: it is dedicated to San Trillo, a saint who lived in the 6th century, and the altar stands above a natural spring, whose water was used for baptisms.
