In a setting of immense beauty, at the foot of Mount Falerzio, the Church of Santa Maria de Olearia appears hidden in the rock like a silent reminder of the past. The name "Olearia" recalls the centuries-old olive trees that once surrounded this place. The first presence of hermits on Falerzio dates back to the 10th century.

In 902, Elias the Younger, the first great figure of Italo-Greek monasticism, chose these places to live on the hill that bears his name. Various figures sought and found isolation and contemplation in these places, including St. Alferius, founder of the Abbey of the Holy Trinity of Cava.

Built around the 10th century at the behest of the anchorite Peter and his nephew John, the monastic complex consists of three small overlapping churches decorated with extraordinary frescoes.

The mural paintings represent one of the most important pictorial groups of the early Middle Ages in Campania. Saints, hieratic figures, and ornamental motifs blend on the walls, creating a unique heritage of medieval sacred art that tells of the spirituality and elegance of the Amalfi Duchy. The light filtering through the narrow windows envelops the room in an atmosphere of deep spirituality. The frescoes, painted in different periods, clearly show the influence of the Byzantine style, a vivid reminder of the sacred tradition of the time.