Chiesa dell'Immacolata Concezione

The Church of the Immaculate Conception in Borbino began as a private oratory commissioned by the Pensa family in 1695. Its interior combines a rounded-corner nave, stucco decoration, marble altar and furnishings from other historic churches in the hamlet.

Why it matters

Founded by the Pensa family in 1695, the oratory later became a repository for furnishings from Borbino’s other churches. The paintings and devotional objects gathered here preserve elements of the hamlet’s religious history in one setting.

What to notice

The nave’s rounded corners contain four niches with statues, while a continuous stucco cornice runs along the walls and apse. The altar is framed like a small temple and has alabaster columns. An eighteenth-century statue of the Madonna in white Carrara marble stands above a black-marble balustrade. Two paintings came from the former churches of San Martino and Madonna della Neve.

Context and history

Borbino has three historic churches, the oldest dating to the thirteenth century. The Immaculate Conception oratory was founded by the Pensa family in 1695 beside their home. After San Martino was abandoned and the Madonna della Neve was deconsecrated and sold, furnishings from those buildings were transferred to the Immacolata, making it a record of the hamlet’s devotional heritage.