Serle

PARISH CHURCH OF SAINT PIETRO IN VINCOLI

The parish church faces the square of Don Pietro Boifava. The edifice was built between 1711and 1747, following the plan of the architect Corbellini, in place of the preceding church dating back to 1138.
The interior is characterised by numerous art works: the single vault richly adorned with stuccos and frescoes representing moments of life of the Virgin and Saint Pietro; the urns with the religious relics of different Saints, for instance Saint Silvino; the altar-pieces of the four lateral altars that represent the Last Supper (attributed to Saint Cattaneo from the city of Brescia), the 18th century painting portraying the Virgin with Jesus, Saint Silvino, Saint Antonio from Padua and Saint Francesco di Sales, and the fifteen mysteries of the Rosary by Paolo Bossini; the banners with polychrome marbles (1752), finely inlayed with hard stone and mother-of-pearl, which are sublime works by the artist Francesco Bombastone from Rezzato; finally, other paintings conserved in the sacristy which recall the style of Tiepolo.

CHURCH OF SAN GAETANO

It is the parish church of the Castello quarter. It was founded in 1691 by the will of the local citizens, who believed the parish church located in the center of Serle was too far and difficult to be reached. In the sacristy there is the memorial stone which remembers the notary act that the citizens agreed upon in order to build the shrine. The interior is richly adorned with 17th century stuccos and on the altar a valuable oil painting shows its quality. The art piece was probably painted by Pietro Scalvini or by someone of his school and represents the Patron Saint who cherishes Jesus in Madonna’s arms.

THE CHURCH OF SAINT LUIGI GONZAGA

The church is located in the quarter of Villa, in the centre of a core of rustic buildings from the late Romanic period. The edifice was built in the 18th century according to the shape of a Greek cross and with an elliptical structure to support the cupola. It contains valuable frescoes and an oil painting portraying the Virgin and the Infant surrounded by Saint Luigi and Saint Gaetano. The oil painting is of the 18th century Bresciana school and is attributed to the artist Pietro Scalvini.

THE LITTLE CHURCH OF SAINT BARTOLOMEO

The church of the Monastery, situated on the Mont Saint Barolomeo, at an altitude of 900 metres, is the most emblematic religious site of Serle. The church was possibly built around the 18th century, in place of the little church of Saint Mary Maddalena (perhaps when the convent was found), over the ruins of the ancient Benedictine Monastery of Saint Pietro in Monte. For this reason, the church guards the imprints of a monastic civilization.
The remains of the Benedictine art are the frescoed polyptych, painted on the wall dominating the altar by Paolo from Cailina, and the marble Romanic capital dating back to 7th century. There does not remain a thing more, but underneath and all around the actual construction, one notices tunnel entrances, which without doubt, lead to underground hollows. These passages, if opportunely explored and examined, could provide precious information on the origins and events regarding a conspicuous centre of religious, cultural, economic and social life in the province of Brescia.

ORATORY OF THE SAINT GUARDIAN ANGELS

This church was built in 1754 by the will of the noble family of Raineri from Brescia. The church was built for their son who was a priest and it was placed beside one of the family’s.

LITTLE CHURCH OF SAINT FIRMO AND RUSTICO

The church is situated in Ronco and was built by the devotional inhabitants in the 17th century as a sign of gratefulness for escaping the danger of the bovine pest. During the flu epidemic of the 1918, known as “the Spanish”, the church was used as a hospital.
The central altar-piece is a fresco of the 16th century, which represents a black Madonna with the Child and Angels bordered by a colored stucco frame. The two lateral altars, characterised by marble inlay and small artistic and magnificent pilasters, which both have a vertical frontal covering them. In addition, the altar to the right displays a painting, portraying a deposition by Saint Firmo.

Bibliografia:
Serle e la sua gente di G. Vezzoli ed. Vannini
Gente di… Nuvolento-Nuvolera-Paitone-Serle Gruppo editoriale “Il Grafico”