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Church of Saints Gervasius and Protasius

[6th; 12th; 14th century]

The original construction of this church dates back to the Lombard period and underwent numerous changes over the centuries. By the 12th century, it had assumed its current size and was dedicated to Saints Gervasio and Protasio, 3rd-century martyrs and brothers.
The church is divided into three naves: on the left by round arches and on the right by pointed arches. The main nave ends with a square apse with ribbed cross vault, replacing the three apses of the previous church. The side naves are closed by two chapels, with cross vaults, built in the 17th and 18th centuries.
The simple gabled façade above the entrance door, an eye opens which is superimposed over a larger one, now walled up. An arched motif, which is also repeated in the apse, runs under the eaves.
The interior preserves fragments of frescoes from different eras. The oldest ones are arranged in three superimposed registers on the triumphal arch. Twelve half-figures of saints are depicted in the intrados of the arch. The frescoes on the walls adjacent to the triumphal arch are also from the 14th century. Other frescoes, created by various artists, date back to the second half of the 14th century. Additional frescoes in the arches of the main nave are the work of Giovanni Battista Gori between the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
In front of the façade rises an imposing bell tower open on the sides by mullioned windows. The church was restored and recovered after the 1976 earthquake
ph. Giorgio Bianchi, Archive MCC
ph. Giorgio Bianchi, Archive MCC
ph. Giorgio Bianchi, Archive MCC
ph. Giorgio Bianchi, Archive MCC