Church of Saints Gervasio and Protasio

Perched on the rock

The church stands on the homonymous rock overlooking the village, 956 m. above sea level.

The church has been mentioned in archive documents since 1598. The complex includes the church, the hermit’s house (where the cistern in which, according to legend, children were born), the bell tower and another building used by pilgrims.
The façade of the church is gabled, inside two clearly separated parts: the first, wide and with exposed trusses, the second, which has the function of a presbytery, plastered and frescoed.
In 1653 the church was enlarged and embellished with frescoes and marble that form the access arch with stars, flowers in relief; marble are also the steps of the altar.
The altarpiece is a copy of the Madonna with S. Gervasio and Protasio by Giovanbattista Motella and captures the village depicted in all its details: the tower of the old municipality, in the district of Cävríl, the church above the village and to the right the district of Visnà. The original of the painting can be found at the Fondazione Beata Lucia Versa da Lumi (the old people’s home).
The Soasa is sober but elegant; unfortunately the central part of the tympanum has been stolen. The frescoes within the lunettes of the presbytery wall depict: Saints Gervasius and Protasius watching over the sleep of St. Ambrose; the martyrdom of St. Protasius; the martyrdom of St. Gervasius and the veneration of the two saints. They are in good condition with extravagantly vibrant colours.
Although some figures are disproportionate, the faces, especially those of the torturers, are of a grim realism and resemble those of Esine, by Romanino.