Santi Martiri, Arona

Santi Martiri is the Roman Catholic church located on a hill above Piazza San Graziano in the town of Arona, province of Novara, Piedmont, Italy.

History

The church was founded adjacent to a Benedictine abbey in the 10th century, but was rebuilt over the centuries. The church held custody of Holy Martyrs, patrons of Arona. The present church has a Baroque façade added by the Jesuits, who were assigned the church and monastery by Cardinal Carlo Borromeo in 1572, and remained till their suppression in 1773.

The interior retains gothic elements to architecture, consists of a single nave with four lateral chapels. The fresco decoration was added between 1850 and 1852.

The main altar is a 15th-century painting depicting an Enthroned Madonna between Angels and Saints by Ambrogio da Fossano, called il Bergognone. The church also has painting by Palma il Giovane. The altar has bas reliefs depicting the four Martyrs: whose relics are sheltered here: Graziano and Felino brought here from Perugia in 979. and Fedele and Carpoforo from Como brought here in 1200. During the 16th century, Cardinal Borromeo decided to move the relics to the church of San Fedele in Milan. However, protests by the people or Arona forced their restitution on 13 March, 1576. The date is a local holiday called "Tredicino".^[1]

References