The old town

St John’s Church

Name: Mechanical Nativity – Chiesa San Giovanni
Start: 2024-12-13
End: 2024-12-13
Location: Chiesa di San Giovanni

The priory of San Pietro, under the Provost of Moncenisio during the 14th century, strengthened its position by the careful buying of properties in Borgo Nuovo.
For this reason, relationship between the Priory and important families of the Borgo grew thus helping them in the building of private chapels around the small church of San Giovanni. It considerably increase in size, and in doing so increased its importance so much that it became the principal seat of the Priory.

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During the 14th and the 15th century the monumental structure began to assume today’s size. Beginning with the apse, the elevation of the bell tower, the opening up of side chapels and arriving to the actual entrance and façade by the middle of the 15th century.
In the second half of the 17th century the nave and presbytery were re-structured into baroque style. During the 19th century minor changes, mainly decorative, were carried out to the façade. Beside an important gallery of paintings from the 17th and 18th century, the interior holds 15th century paintings in “fresco” and a notable collection of panels dated to the 16th century, particularly by Defendente Ferrari and Gerolamo Giovenone. There is a beautiful carved wooden pulpit dated to the same period.