Churches and Sacred Art in Val Rendena
If you love cultural holidays, with so many things to discover and see, the surroundings of Madonna di Campiglio are the right place for you.
Val Rendena is a territory rich in art and history, with influences coming from both the Italian and Germanic worlds. This is evidenced, for example, by sacred art: the many churches and small churches that dot the valley feature typically alpine structures, with solid local stone walls and steeply sloping roofs; inside, however, they hide artistic treasures with a distinct Italian and Lombard flavor.
The Baschenis, itinerant artists
Most of the sacred buildings in the valley were frescoed by members of the Baschenis family. Originally from Valle Averara (today's Val Brembana, in the province of Bergamo), the Baschenis were a dynasty of itinerant artists. Between the 15th and 16th centuries, they traveled through the Giudicarie, Rendena, Sole, and Non valleys, decorating dozens of churches. Theirs is a late Gothic style, perfect for fulfilling the narrative and educational function that the patrons sought.
The Church of San Vigilio in Pinzolo and the Danza Macabra
Romanesque and Gothic forms blend in the church of San Vigilio in Pinzolo. Built in the 14th century on the remains of a pre-existing church, it was further expanded two centuries later, reaching its current size. It is famous worldwide for the Danza Macabra, the fresco cycle completed by Simone Baschenis in 1539 that decorates the exterior south side of the church. The theme, very widespread in Northern Europe but also present in France and Portugal, represents the equality of all people in the face of death.
The Church of Santo Stefano in Carisolo
We can admire another Danza Macabra, also painted by Simone Baschenis, on the southern wall of the cemetery church of Santo Stefano in Carisolo. Perched on a granite cliff overlooking the valley, tradition has it that the building was erected on the ruins of a pre-existing castle destroyed by Charlemagne. The structure reveals a Romanesque origin with subsequent Gothic reinterpretations.
The Church of Sant’Antonio Abate in Pelugo
The fresco with Sant’Antonio Abate decorating the church of the same name in Pelugo is instead the work of Cristoforo Baschenis, Simone's brother. The peculiarity of the architecture, which dates back to the 15th century, is the sharp contrast between the horizontality of the building, which develops into a single nave covered by a low sloping gabled roof, and the verticality of the bell tower, which rises slender and light, crowned by a pyramid roof. According to tradition, this was the first parish church of Val Rendena.
Other sacred sites in Val Rendena
The places where you can admire sacred art in Val Rendena are truly numerous. Above, we have described the main ones. However, we also want to mention the small church of San Martino in Carisolo, built by a hermit in the 14th century, the church of Sant’Antonio and that of San Giovanni Battista, both frescoed by Simone Baschenis, the small sanctuary-church dedicated to San Giuliano di Cilicia, on the shores of Lake San Giuliano, and the church of Santa Maria Antica, in Madonna di Campiglio, with its ancient 12th-century wooden Crucifix.
