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Verrone (Biella)- St. Lawrence Church
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Show to visit in the Biella area: |
 The parish church of St. Lawrence was built between the 10th and 12th centuries as rectory of the neighboring parish church of San Pellegrino in Puliaco (Salussola), of which unfortunately only ruins remain today.
As evidenced by an internal plaque, from the twelfth century it housed the tombs of the Vialardi family who had its patronage.
It was renovated in 1503.
The original church was much smaller than the current one and had only one nave. In the period between the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries it was extended up to the current facade. Subsequently, between the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, the lateral walls were broken down and the two lateral naves with pointed Gothic arches were added. At the same time the central nave was raised and equipped with a vault (as can still be deduced from the external masonry) and the facade was arranged, decorating it with hanging arches and a central rose window. The portico only dates from the seventeenth century, as well as the current choir.
The facade of the church reflects its internal structure with three naves. Two pilasters are present laterally, while two others divide it into three parts. The entrance is located in the centre, preceded by the portico. Above it, at the top, is the rose window, while on the sides there are two large single-lancet windows.
The bell tower, in exposed brick apart from the belfry, is located to the left of the church, about halfway along its length.
Inside, the aisles are separated by thick pillars on which equally thick all-round arches rest. The vaults are all cross vaults.
The wall of the last span of the central nave, close to the presbytery (Fig. large) is occupied by frescoes painted by Giosué Oldoni in 1518 (as attested by the cartouches depicted in the lower parts of the cycle of frescoes). A Circumcision is depicted on the left, while the fresco on the right seems to be a Presentation in the Temple. These are the only known works by this artist.
On the wall at the head of the right aisle there is a fresco, also from the beginning of the sixteenth century, painted by Gaspare from Ponderano and depicting an Enthroned Virgin with Child and St. Sebastian (Fig. 4). Next to this fresco, in the corner, is the baptismal font, enclosed by a valuable ciborium donated by the Vialardis in 1694 and attributable to the art of the Tempia brothers from Mortigliengo. At the top is a sculptural representation of St. John baptizing Jesus flanked by two angels.
On the wall at the head of the left aisle there is instead a niche containing a statue of the Virgin of the Rosary. On the sides of the niche there are two frescoes by artists from the Vercelli school from the mid-sixteenth century depicting St. Stephen and St. Dominic (Fig. 5). The window of this span is also the only 16th century glass window in the Biella area. It depicts one of the Three Magi adoring and offering gifts to Jesus, with the Vialardi coat of arms below. The work is from the Spanzottian school. The other windows are also in colored glass to depict characters and scenes from the Gospel, but they are recent.
The presbytery and the semicircular choir (Fig. 3) form a rather deep space. At the back there is an organ, while the walls and the vault are decorated with recent frescoes. Unfortunately, nothing of the original pictorial decorations remains in this part of the church.
Finally, it should be mentioned that a sixteenth-century "Via Crucis" by the Tempia brothers from Mortigliengo is kept in the sacristy.
Categories: Places of historical value of artistic value
Via Vittorio Emanuele, 4 Verrone BI
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St. Lawrence Church: Further pictures in the section Photography |