Chiesa di San Giovanni al Monte, Quarona

A truly unique place! The frescoes are the most beautiful part and are worth the walk to get there! Before going up, you can ask in the church if San Giovanni is open. I recommend following the mule track near Santa Marta. And to leave the car in Quarona. It's not quite a flat walk, but it's doable.

A true jewel of art, frescoes from the 1200s to the 1500s. Unfortunately, access requires agreement with the parish priest of Quarona, an exquisite but very busy person. Not to be missed.

The church of San Giovanni originates from a Roman construction, dating back to the 5th century, perhaps a soldier's post, built on a cemetery and then used as a prayer room. A baptistery with a portico was then added to this room, presumably between the 5th and 9th centuries. Later the primitive building was lengthened to form the first nave of the church. Subsequently, the two bodies were linked into a single construction by opening large arches in the dividing walls. (Other interventions affected the church, giving it its present appearance, between the 11th and 12th centuries. In the 15th century the bell tower was added, which collapsed and was rebuilt in the 1700s. a large fresco decoration was made on the walls. The church of San Giovanni was particularly important for the local population because on the top of the mountain, the body (later moved) of Panacea, who lived in Quarona in the 14th century and venerated as the "Blessed Panacea". Given the distance from the town center, a new parish church was built in the center of the town, dedicated to Saint Anthony the Abbot, and in 1617 S. Giovanni ceased to be the parish of Quarona. With the demolition of the Chapel of the Pietà, which was located in the locality that still bears its name (Ponte della Pietà), which took place in 1884 for the construction of the Novara-Varallo railway, fragments of frescoes representing the 'Annunciation, the Epiphany, two Madonnas, the Beata Panacea (dated 1483 and 1489) and placed near the entrance door, while in the small temple-ossuary on the left of the churchyard was placed the wooden statuary group of the Lamentation over Christ dating back to 1495 - 1500. The church was restored in the 1950s and retains the interior almost completely covered with valuable FRESCOES from various eras.

It can only be reached on foot, climbing an old well-maintained mule track, also suitable for children. Precisely for this reason it is not open, only on a few special Sundays (I couldn't find out exactly when). Really beautiful frescoes inside (I've seen the photos). The panorama that allows you to see the valley is splendid and is equipped with benches and tables for a picnic.

Wonderful church dating back to the early Middle Ages. Inside there are beautiful frescoes depicting saints and various moments in the life of Jesus, as well as artifacts dating back to the year one thousand. The external structure is reassuring and surrounded by a stone wall that blends well with the panorama. For some years the church has been open every Sunday in the summer, where local guides can help you discover this enchanted place. A piece of advice: go up to the church from the wonderful but steep mule track that goes from the village of Quarona to San Giovanni. If you have never visited it, what are you waiting for?