Chiesetta Madonna della Neve

In the early centuries of the Middle Ages, in order to promote the Christianization of rural populations, the system of parish churches spread, consisting of the pleban church with baptistery and canonical, where the community of priests resides under the guidance of a provost. These churches are connected to a network of smaller chapels scattered in the territory. This is the case of Lazise, home to an ancient and important parish of which the base of the bell tower remains in the cemetery of the capital; this church was connected to numerous rural chapels, such as those dedicated to Saints Fermo and Rustico, and to Faustino and Giovita, which still exist today. A similar case can be found in Colà where the first chapel was located where the church of Madonna della Neve currently stands. It was dependent on the parish of Sandrà, dedicated to St. Andrew – from which the toponym of the village derives – and was dedicated to St. George the martyr. It served as the parish seat until the mid-16th century when, as Giovanni Agostini recalls, “it was elevated to the dignity of a parish church, under the title of Santa Maria and St. George, the ancient church dedicated to the Virgin which was located inside or near the castrum at the foot of which the village was formed.” This transfer was most likely driven by safety and greater convenience for the population, as had happened in Lazise, also during the 1500s, when the parish seat of the ancient parish was moved to the church of St. Zeno, within the walls. The loss of parish status did not mean oblivion or, worse, destruction for the church of Colà. It would become the center of a strong Marian devotion, under the title of Madonna della Neve which is celebrated on August fifth to remember a miraculous event related to the construction of the first western basilica in honor of Mary, built in Rome after the Council of Ephesus in 431. Starting from the 17th century, the church of Madonna della Neve was enlarged and enriched with altars also thanks to donations from important families such as the Cipolla d’Arco, owners of the nearby villa of Monteraso; some members of this family would be buried right inside the church. The building, sound, built in an elevated position along the road leading to Sandrà, is preceded by a suggestive forecourt crowned by cypresses. The gabled façade retains in the central section a fresco of the Virgin dating back to the 20th century, while on the north-eastern corner stands the interesting bell tower with two openings. The interior nave has a trussed roof; in the vaulted presbytery, the marble altar holds the effigy of the Madonna with Child: this is a wooden statue dating from the late Middle Ages. Along the northern wall is the Crucifix altar decorated with 18th-century cherubs. The frescoes of the presbytery and the nave are from the first half of the 20th century.

Opening period

Open

Mass schedule:

Tuesday at 8:30 AM

Gallery