Chiesa dei Santi Martino e Agata

The parish Church of Saints Martin and Agatha in Moltrasio is documented from 1207 and preserves a rich collection of sacred art. Notable works include a signed Renaissance polyptych, paintings attributed to Il Fiamminghino and seventeenth-century frescoes by the Recchi brothers.

Why it matters

The municipal record identifies Alvise de Donati’s 1507 polyptych as the most artistically valuable work in the church. It is displayed alongside frescoes by the Recchi brothers and canvases by Giovan Mauro Della Rovere, known as Il Fiamminghino. A notarial deed confirms the church’s presence by 1207, linking the parish with centuries of Moltrasio’s history.

What to notice

The Cappella della Natività contains Alvise de Donati’s signed and dated 1507 polyptych, centred on the Nativity and surrounded by saints. The side chapel of the Sacra Spina preserves a reliquary associated with the Holy Thorn, recorded in Moltrasio since 1721. Paintings attributed to Il Fiamminghino are found in the chapel and at the high altar. Seventeenth-century frescoes by the Recchi brothers decorate the presbytery and apse. The façade was rebuilt in local stone in 1935 as part of an enlargement.

Context and history

The church is documented in a 1207 deed and was dedicated to Saints Martin and Agatha. Its exact origins are uncertain. An enlargement and façade rebuilding in 1935 gave the exterior much of its present appearance, while the interior preserves earlier works. Around 1500, the De Donati polyptych was commissioned; seventeenth-century additions include frescoes by the Recchi brothers, paintings attributed to Il Fiamminghino and the Holy Thorn relic entrusted to the parish.