Parish Church of San Nicola and Santa Marta

Site overview

The parish church, dedicated to San Nicola, while Santa Marta is the patron saint of the village, can claim very ancient origins; records show a Father Giovanni di Varisella as its rector in 1228.

It is also referenced alongside the church of Baratonia in a 1386 document as a dependency of the parish of Liramo. Traditionally, it is believed that this “parish house” initially stood at a different, lower location. The current church was completed in 1721 and features Piedmontese Baroque architecture, with a main nave and two side chapels.

In 1878, the choir was built, at the centre of which hangs a fine canvas of the Madonna Enthroned with Saints Nicola and Marta, painted in 1884 by the artist Giovanni Pesando, a pupil of Reffo.

In 1893, work began to restore the “rustic” and badly deteriorated façade. In the two niches flanking the entrance door, statues of the patron saints were placed, while at the top centre, above the trefoil window, stands a wooden statue of the Virgin, carved by a local resident.

In 1876, some years after the old bell tower collapsed, it was rebuilt on a limited budget. In 1930, the interior was frescoed by the painter Renato Calzolari of Prato.