CHURCH OF ST. PIETRO

In Gemonio, the church of San Pietro is one of the oldest and most fascinating religious buildings in the Varese area

Located in Gemonio, its origins likely date back to the early Middle Ages, when—according to tradition—it was donated in 712 by the Lombard king Liutprand to the monastery of San Pietro in Ciel d'Oro in Pavia.

The first documented structural interventions date back to the 10th century, the period in which the slender and compact bell tower, which became an architectural model for many churches in the area, and the high altar were built.

The current building has a three-nave plan, but originally had a single nave. The expansion took place between the 11th and 15th centuries: first, the left nave was added, and then, in the 15th century, the right nave. The Romanesque apses and splayed windows testify to the historical stratification of the structure and stylistic evolution.

Inside, the church houses a precious cycle of frescoes created between the 15th and 17th centuries, including works attributed to the school of Galdino da Varese. Particularly evocative are the Madonna Enthroned with Child, Saint Anthony the Abbot, and the main apse cycle, attributed to the Master of the Apse of Santo Stefano da Bizzozzero.

The churchyard is framed by the chapels of the Via Crucis, erected in 1768 and restored in 1990, enriched with panels by the artist Albino Reggiori.