Chiesa Anglicana dell'Ascensione

The Anglican Church of the Ascension in Cadenabbia was built for the British community on Lake Como and consecrated in 1891. Designed by Giuseppe Brentano in a Lombard revival style, it remains a place of worship for an English-speaking congregation.

Why it matters

The church reflects the growth of the British seasonal community in Cadenabbia during the nineteenth century. Its survival as a working Anglican church distinguishes it from buildings preserved only as monuments and documents the long-standing cultural connections between the lake and British visitors and residents.

What to notice

The exterior draws on late fifteenth-century Lombard forms, with a rose window, small arches beneath the eaves and slender spires above the main pillars. Inside, monochrome geometric frescoes with groups of angels decorate the walls. The marble pulpit and three statues of the Crucifixion beneath the presbytery arch are notable features; the church also preserves an historic organ.

Context and history

The British community in Cadenabbia commissioned a church as its presence on the western shore grew. Giuseppe Brentano designed the building; after his death in 1889, his uncle Luigi Brentano oversaw its construction. Work began in 1890, and the church was consecrated in 1891 and dedicated to the Ascension. The entrance porch and pulpit were completed over the following four years. The dedication is to the Ascension, not Santa Caterina, as some secondary sources have incorrectly stated.