Chiesa Parrocchiale della Madonna della Neve

The parish church of the Madonna della Neve in Monforte d'Alba is a Neo-Gothic building completed between 1909 and 1912 to designs by engineer Giuseppe Gallo. Its 54-metre bell tower rises above the old borgo.

Why it matters

The church represents an early twentieth-century Gothic Revival in a Langhe village whose skyline is more often associated with medieval architecture. Its pointed forms, polychrome marble and narrative painting make it a coherent historicist ensemble and a focal point for the village's devotion to Our Lady of the Snows.

What to notice

The façade is divided into three vertical sections with carved reliefs above the portals by Oreste Torello. The 54-metre bell tower has paired windows near the top, a domed crown and statues of the four Evangelists. Inside, bundled columns support a tripartite vault. The presbytery balustrade combines white Carrara and yellow Siena marble, and choir windows made in Linnich, Germany, bear the arms of the Del Carretto and Scarampi families.

Context and history

The church was begun in June 1909 and completed in October 1912 to a design by Giuseppe Gallo, replacing an earlier parish church that had become too small. Luigi Morgari painted scenes from the life of Mary and the legend of the miraculous summer snow in Rome associated with the dedication. Fedele Finati created non-figurative decoration in the apse and vault. The church was consecrated in 1925.