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Castelletto Cervo (Biella)- Cluniac Priory of the Saints Peter and Paul
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Show to visit in the Biella area: |
 The Cluniac priory of Castelletto Cervo represents one of the most significant cases of the Piedmontese monasticism of the central centuries of the Middle Ages, although it has only recently begun to enjoy the notoriety it deserves.
The complex is located between the Vercelli and Biella areas, within the area called Baraggia, today partly occupied by the Baragge nature reserve.
Contacts
https://www.monasterodicastelletto.it/
Garnerius - Amici del monastero di Castelletto Cervo
STORY
The oldest document containing a certain reference to the Priory of Castelletto Cervo is from 1092. Its foundation is linked to the counts of Pombia, who later became counts of Biandrate. These, as early as the tenth century, extended their control over the territory through a complex policy of donations of goods and lands. Among them there was in particular one from 1083, by Guido Pombia for the benefit of the Cluny Abbey.
In the twelfth century the priory continued to grow stronger and become increasingly prosperous thanks to the careful management of the numerous assets transferred to its foundation. In addition to numerous lands in the area, the priory came to own numerous assets in Valsesia, especially forests and pastures. In 1141 Pope Innocent III assigned to the Priory of Castelletto Cervo also the Church of San Pietro in Carpignano Sesia. It was in that period that most of the Romanesque structures of the complex were built.
Between the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, the portico placed in front of the original facade of the church was raised, building a second facade above it (the one visible today), so as to create a forepart, then modified several times over the following centuries.
Another modification which already took place in the Middle Ages was the elimination of the lateral apses, replaced with the extension of a span of the lateral naves.
From about the middle of the thirteenth century, and in particular in the fourteenth century, the Vercelli area was affected by the wars raging in northern Italy. More than once the monks had to leave the monastery and find refuge in Carpignano Sesia, leaving the monastery uninhabited. Also the buildings of the monastery suffered damage during this period.
The ensuing crisis (also patrimonial) led to the introduction of the institution of the commendam, although between the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries the monastery still enjoyed renovation and enrichment works.
In the sixteenth century, however, the complex ceased to be a monastery and its church became a parish church, although the figure of the commendatory was formally abolished only in 1774, when the priory was suppressed and its revenues were passed to the new diocese of Biella.
The transformation of the church into a parish church led to various changes. In the church the vaults of the lateral naves were replaced with lowered vaults, so as to be able to obtain above them the residence of the parish priest (above the right lateral nave) and a granary (above the left one). The spans of the lateral aisles closest to the presbytery were closed and transformed into service spaces.
In the seventeenth century the central apse was also demolished and replaced by a deep choir.
Other changes involved the avant-corps of the church, which was divided so as to obtain rooms that could be used for various different uses. On the ground floor there was even a wine press, while the rooms on the upper floors were used as warehouses or as a home. In the mid-twentieth century, probably too radical restoration works aimed at bringing back to light the original medieval appearance eliminated all the structures present in the avant-corps and also the frescoed plasters present on the external façade. However, the lack of funds meant that these restorations were never completed, leaving the avant-corps without one of the vaults. This on the other hand allows to observe the original facade behind the current one.
The church has unfortunately suffered several thefts which have led to the loss of many important artefacts. The most serious loss is that of the Romanesque stone basin stolen in the 1980s. It was used as a stoup, although originally it must have been the basin of a fountain located in the cloister. Dating back to the twelfth century, it was equipped with twelve lion heads from whose mouths originally gushed water.
Furthermore, again due to thefts, two of the columns of the biforas of the avant-corps were lost.
STRUCTURE
The area next to the church and the current parish house (Fig. 1) was once occupied by the cloister, which unfortunately was dismantled centuries ago. The parish house appears today plastered, externally. The structure is however the original medieval one up to the junction of the roof. On its western wall, openings can still be recognized, later plugged up, which directly connected this wing of the monastery with the cloister.
Also the general structure of the church, dedicated like the monastery to Saints Peter and Paul, is still medieval. On the side that originally faced the cloister two rows of windows are visible. The upper ones correspond to the rooms, once connected by a balcony, which were created above the right aisle after its vaults had been lowered.
The church has a simple structure, comprising a rectangular body with an extension at the back corresponding to the presbytery and the choir. The structure is in exposed brick, river pebbles and stones, apart from the southern wall, which is plastered. Given the innumerable modifications, the wall structure changes from point to point. The northern wall is buttressed and the walls of the presbitery and of the choir are punctuated by large pilasters. The bell tower, with a square plan, not very high but very thick, so much so that it looks more like a watchtower than a bell tower, is located next to the presbytery, to the right of it (Fig. 5). The belfry is equipped on each side with a three-mullioned window. On the facade towards the cloister there is a clock with a single hand, but currently not working.
The current façade was, as explained, built at a later time in front of the original one, above the portico. The latter was originally equipped with four mullioned windows, but one was replaced by a rectangular window already in medieval times. Unfortunately two of the columns of the mullioned windows are not original. On the facade are recognizable windows of various kinds, open or walled up, built over the centuries.
The absence of one of the vaults of the portico also allows us to see the original façade (Fig. 4), however not very different in style and structure from the current one.
Internally, the church has three naves, with the lateral ones about half as high as the central one. The naves are separated by thick cruciform pillars.
To illuminate the interior are the rectangular windows in the upper part of the side walls and the three windows in the choir.
The coverage of the central nave is barrel vaulted with lunettes, that of the side naves with cross vaults.
The lunettes of the central nave are occupied by frescoes of biblical scenes.
All the coverages are covered by decorative frescoes made in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries containing trompe-l'oeil simulations of stuccos, frames, garlands, vases of flowers. The same also applies to the vertical surfaces. The counter-façade is occupied by the wooden choir loft. The organ case is still present in it. However, the latter has unfortunately been lost.
At the head of the two aisles there are two altars. The one on the left is dedicated to Sant'Antonio from Padua. The marble altar is recent. The retable is instead only simulated, ie it is a trompe l'oeil fresco painted around a niche. In this there is a statue created by Pietro A. Serpentiere in 1781 and which was actually sculpted to represent San Carlo. The altar on the right, in marble and stucco, is instead dedicated to the Virgin and is older. Also in this case the retable is only painted on the wall around a niche, here with a statue of the Virgin inside.
The two rooms beisde the presbyterium retain traces of the original medieval church, both the one on the right, which coincides with the base of the bell tower, and the one on the left, which contains a fresco divided into two sectors (large Fig.). In the right, larger sector, the Trinity is represented through three identical figures ("Triandric and Christomorphic Trinity") seated behind a table. Each one has a chalice and a wafer in front of them, the right hand in blessing and the left resting on the book. The same representation is also present in the Church of San Pietro in Benna. In the left sector of the fresco, the Miracle of St. James is narrated (see at the bottom of the page).
Fresco decorations are also present in what can still be seen of the under arch.
The frescoes in this room were painted at the beginning of the sixteenth century and are attributed to Tommasino da Mortara.
The presbytery and the choir have walls punctuated by pilasters that recall the pillars between the naves. The dome above the presbytery and the vault of the choir are decorated with trompe l'oeil frescoes in the same style as those in the central nave. The four evangelists are depicted in the spandrels, but the artistic quality in this case is very modest.
The large nineteenth-century high altar is in imitation marble and stucco and has extensions that reach the side walls, so as to isolate the choir. On the back wall of the latter there is a large canvas depicting Saints Peter and Paul and the Virgin. It hides an oval stucco retable on the wall.
Behind the church, to the right of the back of the parish house, there is a rectangular building (on the left in Fig. 3), unfortunately not open to visitors, with herringbone walls and a well-made stone portal. This is the so-called "second church", a structure of typical Cluniac monasteries. Smaller than the main one, it is thought to have been used by the monks as a second choir and as an infirmary church. There are very few former Cluniac monasteries that have preserved the second church up to the present day.
Contacts
https://www.monasterodicastelletto.it/
Garnerius - Amici del monastero di Castelletto Cervo
The miracle of St. James
Around the year one thousand, father, mother and son left Germany on pilgrimage to go to Santiago de Compostela. They stopped to sleep in an inn and the innkeeper's daughter fell in love with the young man who, however, rejected the advances of the beautiful girl. The annoyed young woman hid a silver "cup" in the young man's bag and the following morning she called in the guards who, finding the stolen goods, sentenced the victim to death and immediately hanged him. Father and mother continued their journey to Compostela and after thirty-six days they returned to bury their son who instead was miraculously still alive. It was he himself who told them that St. James kept his feet raised so that the rope would not tighten. The parents immediately went to the judge to tell the miracle and ask that it be removed from the gallows, but the notable, who was having dinner with a hen and a roast chicken, replied that they were liars and added: "Your son is alive as are these roast beasts!”. It was at that point that the rooster and the hen that were in the tray covered themselves with feathers and flew away.
Categories: Places of historical value of artistic value
SP315, 1, 13851 Cantone Chiesa, Castelletto Cervo BI |
Cluniac Priory of the Saints Peter and Paul: Further pictures in the section Photography |