Churches in Valdidentro

A heritage to be protected

Fundamental elements of the historical and artistic heritage, the many churches scattered throughout the territory represent an integral part of the cultural and landscape context, each with its peculiarities.

Church of Sts. Martin and Urban

The parish church of Ss. Martino and Urbano in Pedenosso, located in a dominant position concerning the village of Isolaccia, welcomes the visitor with a scenic flight of steps and a fresco on the façade depicting St. Martin in the act of sharing a cloak with the poor man, the work of Johann Georg Telser.

Its perched position, the porch surrounding the building, the narrow openings in the walls, the bell tower, the asymmetry in the architecture, and the dedication to the warrior saint suggest that St. Martin was originally a fortress church. The co-dedication to St Urban was added in 1624, during the Counter-Reformation.

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Church of St. Gallen

The Church of St. Gallen, one of the area's most impressive places of worship, continues to conceal its origins in a veil of mystery. The date of its foundation and original function remains unknown. Still, some hypotheses suggest that it may have been a refuge along the royal road to Fraele or even a fortified complex or monastery on a smaller scale. The dedication to St. Gallen, an Irish saint whose veneration was introduced to the Bormina region by Charlemagne in 775, suggests an early medieval origin.

The first documented mention of the Church of St. Gallen dates back to 1243 when the remoteness and harsh winter conditions prompted the inhabitants to request that the church be elevated to an independent parish.

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Church of St. Charles

The creation of the church, dedicated to St. Charles, St. Sebastian, and St. Roch, saints traditionally invoked against the plague, dates back to a vow made by the inhabitants of Semogo in 1636 to stop the terrible epidemic that was spreading through the Bormio area.

Work began around 1640 and was completed within twenty years. The church's architecture, with a single nave, is essential; the only baroque note is the bulbous bell tower, erected in 1675.

The interior houses an altar with an ancient altarpiece and a 17th-century painting of St Charles in front of the Virgin and Child. Several water springs were also named after the saint to which therapeutic and miraculous powers were attributed. According to a legend with no historical basis, one is located on the slope opposite the church in the so-called Bosco del Conte.

Initially, there were representations of Saints Roch and Sebastian on the façade, but unfortunately, they were lost over the centuries.

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Church of Our Lady of Mercy

The small church of Our Lady of Mercy (Madonna della Pietà), built in the 17th century in Torripiano Fior d'Alpe along the road that connected Bormio to central Europe, may have been erected as a vow against the plague of 1636. Commissioned by the archpriest of Bormio, its construction began in 1674 and was completed after about sixty years. Work was slow due to changes to the parish churches and the construction of the Premadio bell tower in 1690.

The façade was completed in 1702 and decorated by the painter Giovanni Noale and their son. The bell tower was completed in 1733. During renovations in the last century, many parts were changed, including the flooring in 1708 and the high altar in 1706. The high altarpiece, attributed to G. Maria Donati, was placed after 1760. Other artwork details inside the church include two side altars dedicated to St. Anne and St. Peter, of which little is known and a painting of the Lamentation over the Body of Christ by an unknown author.

On the south exterior wall is a famous painting depicting Barbara Sgritta, who died in 1702. The stoup dates back to 1694.

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