Church of San Giacomo at Gisola

Site overview

The Parish Church of Gisola, dedicated to the Apostle St James the Great, is believed to be the oldest in the Lanzo Valleys. The exact date of its foundation is unknown, but it is thought to have been built in the 9th century by the Benedictines of the Abbey of San Mauro di Pulcherada, who owned the lands of Gisola and virtually all of the Valleys.

The church was constructed under the supervision of monks by several Comacine masters, who were extensively working across Piedmont at that time. Originating from upper Lombardy, specifically from the old Diocese of Como, these craftsmen were highly skilled builders. To dedicate the church to St James, the Benedictines brought a fragment of the saint’s skull and placed it inside the church altar.

The relic’s significance attracted many pilgrims to Gisola, facilitated by a well-developed road network that still largely follows the same routes today.

Legend also states that in the early 18th century, “the great miracle of St James in Gisola” occurred, where two unjustly condemned prisoners were miraculously freed from their chains by St James. As an ex-voto, they donated their chains to Gisola, and these were displayed in the church for many years.

The event is depicted in a painting by an unknown artist, kept in the church sacristy: at the saint’s feet, the two prisoners kneel in prayer, their wrists chained, and between them is a white ribbon bearing the inscription “ECO IL G. MI-CO D. S.G. IN G. – B.G.P.”