RELIGIOUS COMPLEX OF DOMO

The religious complex of Domo, in Porto Valtravaglia, is one of the most precious examples of a medieval rural parish church in Lombardy

Established in the 5th century, it comprises three fascinating buildings: the Church of Santa Maria Assunta, the Oratory of Santo Stefano, and the Baptistery of San Giovanni Battista, clustered around what was once the cemetery square of the village

The church of Santa Maria Assunta founded around the year 1000, has undergone numerous expansions and transformations over time, from the Middle Ages to the 18th century. Today, the building features a single nave, two side chapels dedicated to Our Lady of the Rosary and the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and a semicircular apse. The bell tower, erected on a pre-existing military tower, stands on the southern side. Inside, the church is astonishing for its decorative richness: frescoed vaults, stucco, a 16th-century organ, and the ancient high altar with exquisite polychrome wood carvings.

Next to it stands the Oratory of Santo Stefano, older than the church itself and used for centuries for winter services. Rebuilt between the 14th and 15th centuries, today it mainly retains the presbytery, with a simple façade enlivened by frescoes and trompe-l'oeil. The interior contains highly interesting pictorial cycles, attributed to the workshop of Guglielmo Jotti da Montegrino, with biblical scenes and depictions of saints.

The third building of the complex is the Baptistery of St. John the Baptist dating back to the 10th century. It has a cylindrical-octagonal plan and is partially incorporated into 17th-century buildings. Its facades retain arches, splayed windows, and relief decorations that anticipate the motifs of Romanesque hanging arches, making it an architectural unicum.

Visiting the Religious Center of Domo means taking a journey through history, from the pre-Romanesque period to the Baroque, admiring a rare example of architectural and artistic stratification. A deeply evocative place, it recounts over a thousand years of faith, art, and community life on the shores of Lake Verbano.

(PHOTO: Parrocchie Valtravaglia/parrocchiaportodomo.it)