Between the end of the sixteenth century and the beginning of the seventeenth century, there was a great race of solidarity in favour of this institution, which entered forcefully into the hearts of all avellinesi citizens. Suffice it to say that the famous “Pietà ”, the work of Silvestro Buono performed in 1551 and recently restored, according to some was donated by G. Giacomo Spadafora, grateful to the friars for having good-naturedly resolved the “well-known” Venenza.
Among the members of the noblest families of Avellino, several were those who, after deaths, relied on the prayers of the monks. One of the first testimonies, in this sense, is the tombstone, dating back to 1610, which the notary Orazio de Toro dedicated to his wife Caterina Galasso, belonging to one of the noble families of the city. Called an epigraph, conferred by time, it is currently to the right of the church entrance door.
In addition to the “De Toro” family, even that of the “De Luca” was particularly benevolent towards the friars: in fact during the seventeenth century, Captain Curzio de Luca eresses in the church a chapel dedicated to Saint Antonio di Padova,, in respect of the wishes of his mother, the Tuscan noblewoman Beatrice Guazzalloti.
At the beginning of the eighteenth century another member of this family Caterina De Luca, who had married Giovan Vincenzo Amoretti, belonging to one of the most illustrious families of Avellino, wanted to be buried in the church of Saint Maria delle Grazie. A tombstone, which is still preserved today, reminds us of this noblewoman, also giving us interesting information about the origins of the Amoretti family.
Even the city authorities did not fail to take an interest in cases of need; there were donations for the execution of various renovations. After these works the monastic complex was in a more than dignified condition, so much so that it deserves the satisfaction of Monsignor Andrea Pierbenedetti – always severe in judgments – on the occasion of an apostolic visit made to our diocese in 1630.
