Church of St. Lorenzo - Berzo Inferiore

Church of St. Lorenzo - Berzo Inferiore

Location

Chiese
Itinerari: mappa rossa
0364/40100
0364/406321

The archaeological data make it possible to date the building of the St. Lorenzo church to the 12th century, even though its present shape is the result of a 15th-century extension work. At first it was the ancient parish of the community, but later it was substituted by the more useful Santa Maria church, located at the foot of the hill. A few elements are left reminding of the great St. Cristoforo that decorated the external face, while inside some valuable paintings  of the 15th-16th centuries are preserved. Among the decorations the most important ones are in the presbytery, dedicated to
St. Lorenzo’s life, and in the St. Rocco and Sebastiano chapel, fully frescoed by Giovanni Pietro da Cemmo. Among the figures represented St. Glisente appears more times, as he was particularly worshipped in this part of the Valley: on the external south face, following the tradition, there is a tomb that allegedly contains the clothes of this Saint. The legend tells that Glisente was a soldier in the Charlemagne army, together with the brother Fermo and the sister Cristina, but, tired of the horrors of war, they decided to retreat in hermitage on some mountains of Valle Camonica: Glisente above Esine, Fermo above Borno and Cristina above Lozio. On the hilltop, on a panoramic site over Valgrigna, is found the small chapel of St. Michele, ancient witness of a broad stronghold that girded this summit area between the 12th and the 13th century.