Church of Santa Maria Assunta Cireggio

Church of Santa Maria Assunta

Located in the Cireggio area, built on the ruins of a 15-century oratory, the church is a 17th-century Baroque building with a single nave. Above the entrance door, recently restored, in addition to the original colours and a cherry tree (which symbolises the deep connection between the church and the hamlet of Cireggio), visitors can see an inscription showing the original construction date: 1595. The front porch was probably built in 1610; the construction of the octagonal bell tower started between 1610 and 1612 and was completed in 1614. Inside, the church is endowed with an austere and familiar religious atmosphere, simple and sumptuous. The fulcrum of the chapel of the Immaculate is a painting of Mary Immaculate, by Cristoforo Martinolio, but the clothed wooden statue of the Virgin stands out for its charm and unique history: it was found in 1990 in the attic of a priest, Pietro Minoretti, and restored by the Benedictine nuns from the Island of San Giulio. Traditionally, celebrations in honour of the Virgin Immaculate are held every 15 August. On that occasion, the wooden statue is carried along the narrow streets of the village in a very evocative ceremony characterised by the slow gathering of worshippers, with candles lighting the streets and flowers and votive candles positioned along the route.