Church of San Martino
The complex of the parish church of San Martino stands on the area of a previous temple and is formed by the union of two churches: the old one that has the facade facing the lake and dates back to the seventeenth century and the new one overlooking the square and dated eighteenth. century. It is flanked by a beautiful bell tower built around 1680.
Inside the old church you can admire seventeenth-century frescoes depicting the life of St. Anthony, the work of Cristoforo Martinola known as il Rocca. In the small square next to the bell tower is the monument in memory of the figure of Father Ignazio da Ispra (1880-1935), a heroic figure of a Franciscan friar who sacrificed his life in missionary activities in Brazil.
Church of Barza of SS. Quirico and Giulitta
The Church of Barza, dedicated to Saints Quirico and Giulitta, already existed in the Middle Ages as various testimonies tell. After undergoing several changes over the centuries, today we admire the church completed in 1901. The porch was erected with columns that came from the demolished hospital in Milan.
The bell, which today is in its place after alternating events that saw it fall from the bell tower and be transferred to noble properties, inspired the writer Costanzo Ranci the pages of “The blessed bell: legend of Barza” contained in the book La Sponda magra: legends of Lake Maggiore published in 1931.
Minor Churchs
Another important church is Chiesa di San Bernardino da Siena which is near the graveyard at the start of parco delle rimembranze built in 1939. In Monzeglio along the street there are the remains of an oratory dedicated to Santa Maria. Interesting for the presence of sixteenth-century frescoes depicting the Nativity and Saints.
