Chiesa di Santa Maria in Martinico

Santa Maria in Martinico stands in an old quarter of Dongo. Its Romanesque masonry, carved details and surviving painted fragments preserve a long history of local religious art, shaped in part by substantial modern restoration.

Why it matters

The church combines medieval stonework with frescoes from several later periods. The detached paintings also record the conservation choices made when restorers sought to recover its Romanesque appearance in the early twentieth century.

What to notice

Sawtooth cornices, polychrome hanging arches, carved human heads and a projecting lion animate the side facing the square. Inside, painted fragments include a Last Supper and an enthroned bishop saint. Seventeenth-century scenes of Christ's life, attributed to Giovan Mauro Della Rovere, known as il Fiammenghino, survive as detached panels. A Madonna of Mercy dated around 1310–1315 is accompanied by six angels holding her cloak.

Context and history

A church dedicated to Santa Maria is documented here from the twelfth century. Later chapels and furnishings altered it considerably. Restoration resumed under Federico Frigerio in 1905, removing additions and reconstructing the apse. Francesco Annoni detached frescoes in 1909; further work in 1912 rebuilt the bell tower and sacristy.