Chiesa parrocchiale di Santa Maria degli Angeli

The Parish Church of Santa Maria degli Angeli in Manta preserves a fifteenth-century baptismal font, a 1906 organ and works by Piedmontese artists.

Why it matters

The church preserves objects from Manta's older parish buildings and records the community's move from worship near the castle to a larger church in the lower settlement.

What to notice

A traditional image of the Shroud of Turin appears above the entrance. Inside, the octagonal baptismal font of 1450, made by the Zabreri of Val Maira, bears the opening verses of the Credo and heraldic shields of the Saluzzo family. An 1850 altarpiece of the Madonna degli Angeli by Luigi Grossi stands above the organ built by Francesco Vittino in 1906.

Context and history

Construction began in 1626–1627, with the Saluzzo della Manta family supporting the building work in 1631. The church was completed in 1673 and consecrated in 1701. The baptismal font came from the older parish church by the castle. The present building was enlarged in 1764; the architect of that campaign is disputed.