Zornasco: Parish Church and Via Crucis

Zornasco's parish church

Zornasco: Parish Church and Via Crucis

The parish church, with the annexed bell tower and the small churchyard, embellished by a Via Crucis, unique in Valle Vigezzo, is at the foot of a rocky wall at the top of Zornasco town.

The history of the parish church

In accordance with the requirements of the believers, Zornasco’s parish was separated from that of Malesco in 1616. A primitive oratory (1457) devoted to worship, already existed in the town. So the small building was expanded in three successive moments till the present form (in Doric style), starting from 1662.

Dedication

The parish church of Zornasco is dedicated to St. Bernard of Menton, celebrated in June, depicted on a canvas in the apse and a statue inside the church.

Architecture and Art

The church has a single aisle with three side chapels, two adornments with altars and the other dedicated to the baptistery.

Inside there are two precious paintings: the adoration of the Wise Men (Cav. Del Sole di Milano) and S. Peter in constraints of the Vigezzo’s artist Giacomo Rossetti.

In 1935 the vault was decorated by Baranzelli, from Verbania.

Outside the parish church, there is a small porch and, on the south wall, is still visible an ancient solar clock.

Churchyard and Via Crucis

Like in all the churches of the past, around the walls, there was the cemetery.

In order to allow expansion work, the cemetery was, for a time, moved upstream, but the current position, a bit moved away with respect to the town area, is due to the 1804’s Napoleonic laws on the cemeteries (Decree of Saint Cloud).

The churchyard in the southern part is encircled by a wall, where lie eight artistic chapels of the Via Crucis, dated back to the early ‘800, someone painted by Lorenzo Peretti of Buttogno and Carlo Gaudenzio Lupetti of Prestinone.

The other chapels are placed in the walls of the church and in the remaining ramparts, visible from the small square in front of the facade.