The Church of San Gottardo is dedicated to God and to the Virgin but is named after the Saxon bishop who, according to legend, stopped to eat here on his trip to Rome. It is located on a headland in Carmine Superiore and has a breathtaking view of Lake Maggiore. A simple visit of the lake, with Maccagno in front of you, makes this ancient village worth visiting. It is now a hamlet of Cannobio and can only be reached on foot from Carmine Inferiore, a small hamlet on the lakeshore halfway between Cannobio and Cannero Riviera.
The history of the Church of San Gottardo
Construction of the primitive building started in 1332 and was finished 70 years later, as indicated by the phrase above the largest door. The church was fervently wanted by the inhabitants of Carmine, who were tired of going to Cannobio to participate in religious ceremonies or to bury their dead.
This second function became of tragic importance during the plague in 1630, which was so vividly outlined by Manzoni. In fact, from that moment on, the small cemetery became the final resting place for numerous inhabitants of Carmine and for several wayfarers who had come to this place in search of refuge from the epidemic. Later, the interior was covered with lime (with no consideration of the marvellous frescoes which were only brought to light again in 1933) as a precaution to prevent the disease from spreading.
San Gottardo in Carmine Superiore: the architecture
The pretty Late-Romanesque bell tower dates back to the original body. However, the building was soon too small to welcome an increasing number of believers and thus it was decided to expand it with a series of works (among others, opening a window at the altar so the interior area was brighter), which were completed in 1431.
The different arrangements are easily identified as they are separated by several steps used to connect the two parts. The sacristy on the north side was obviously added later, as underlined by the difficulty in walking beside the church precisely on the north side and the fact that the walls are totally different from those on the original building.
The frescoes in the Church of San Gottardo
The interior and exterior frescoes attributed to the Master of Carzoneso depict scenes from the Bible, according to Ambrosian tradition. In particular, saints Gottardo and Christopher can be seen on the outside. A triptych was placed inside depicting the Madonna with Child and saints Gottardo and Peter. Another triptych from 1429 was on the side altar and was the work of Battista da Legnano. It depicted the Virgin with Child and saints Rocco and Peter.
The past tense was used to describe the two triptychs: they have in fact been removed and taken to the Collegiate Church of San Vittore in Cannobio for understandable security reasons.
Christ the Pantocrator surrounded by the Evangelists is depicted on the vault, while the fresco of a Crucifixion and of saints Gottardo and Peter is visible on the wall behind the altar. An Annunciation completes the pictorial decoration, along with a series on the vaults illustrating 12 scenes from the Life of Saint Gottardo.
Photo gallery Church of San Gottardo
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