Chiesa di San Cristoforo, Vercelli

Don't be impressed by the facade: the wonder is inside. The transept houses wonderful images of Gaudenzio Ferrari. Too bad about the lighting; even activating the timed service (1 €), many parts are not correctly (or not at all) illuminated. Paradoxically, my camera could "see" what my eyes couldn't. But the experience of being in direct contact with the works is exciting. Do not forget to observe, as far as possible, the canvas at the end of the apse.

A modest exterior hides a treasure chest of paintings on canvas and frescoes of the highest level. Thanks to the great Gaudenzio Ferrari to whom we owe both the Madonna degli aranci on the high altar and the stories of the Virgin on the walls of the transept. An important stage for anyone visiting Vercelli, given the central role of the artist in the city's Renaissance art.

The Church of San Cristoforo is one of the most artistically rich in Vercelli. It was erected in the 16th century, after the demolition in 1515 of a pre-existing cult building dating back to the second half of the 12th century. It underwent other important interventions in the eighteenth century, including the construction of the polychrome marble balustrade designed by Filippo Juvarra (1678 - 1736). The sober, almost humble late Renaissance style of the facade should not be misleading. It is inside that San Cristoforo keeps his treasure, namely some of the major works of Gaudenzio Ferrari (1475/1480 - 1546), probably the greatest Piedmontese painter of the Renaissance. One of them is the very delicate altarpiece known as the Madonna degli Aranci, in which one of the first pictorial representations of the violin appears (let's not forget that Ferrari is also the author of the Concerto degli Angeli, a fresco that covers the entire dome of the Sanctuary of the Blessed Virgin of Miracles in Saronno). The other two great works, created between 1531 and 1534, are the frescoes in the two transepts. The one on the right depicts scenes from the Life of Saint Mary Magdalene, next to which there is an imposing Crucifixion; the one on the left illustrates the most significant episodes of the Life of the Virgin, crowned by a stupendous Assumption. It is possible to illuminate the frescoes using a machine that accepts coins, from 20 cents up to 2 euros, deciding how long you want them illuminated: for example, for one euro you have 4 minutes of light.

A "Sistina" in Vercelli. Completely frescoed with an altarpiece by Gaudenzio Ferrari (Madonna of the oranges) from 1500/1700 ..... a masterpiece with a very helpful and attentive parish priest (Don Sergio). Thank you

Church of 1500, in the historic center of Vercelli, consisting of three naves, inside beautiful works by Gaudenzio Ferrari. I recommend it.