Parish Church of San Secondo Martire and the Remains of Maria Orsola Bussone
A sanctuary for the young.
The Baroque church of San Secondo houses notable works, including an 18th-century statue of the Immaculate Virgin and a fine 17th-century painting. Today it is also a place of pilgrimage associated with the figure of the Blessed Maria Orsola Bussone, whose remains are preserved here.
Site overview
The parish church, designed in the Baroque style, is dedicated to the patron saint San Secondo. Inside, it features a statue of the Immaculate Madonna crafted by the Clemente brothers in 1777, and a beautiful 17th-century painting showing St John the Baptist and San Secondo at the Virgin Mary’s feet, holding the Infant Jesus.
The building is situated in an isolated location compared to other structures, with its main façade facing east. It has a rectangular layout with three naves, the central nave being double in height. The side naves contain four chapels, two on each side.
The layout is completed by a polygonal apse. The central nave is surmounted by a depressed barrel vault, the side chapels by barrel vaults, the presbytery by a barrel vault with groins, and the apse by a half-dome.
The central nave is divided into three bays and is separated from the side chapels by arcades supported on columns.
The church houses a collection of artistic ceramics by Father Giulio Liverani of Faenza. The main façade is characterised by full-height pilasters and exposed masonry cornices alternating with plastered surfaces painted in cream-yellow. Since 2004, the church has housed the remains of the Blessed Maria Orsola Bussone, a native of the valley.
The church is a place and destination of pilgrimage for the young people to whom Maria Orsola devoted her life.
The modern parish centre is dedicated to her.
How to visit the site
The church stands at the centre of the village of Vallo Torinese, on the main square.
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