Church of Saint Michael the Archangel

About

Chiesa di San Michele Arcangelo (Church of Saint Michael Archangel) is the parish church of Garbagna Novarese, in the province and diocese of Novara; it is part of the pastoral unit of Bassa Novarese.

The original oratory was built by the Lombards, on the site of the previous pagan temple, and dedicated to their patron saint. Although he had no concrete evidence to support this claim, historian Lino Cassani was convinced of it, based on numerous accounts of an 11th-century colony of Lombard landowners in Garbagna, who may have financed its construction. The history of Garbagna itself offers further support for this theory. Until the 11th century, the original nucleus of the town was located farther to the north-east, near the ancient Roman road and the Oratorio di Santa Maria, rather than in the area of the present-day church. Given the Lombard custom of locating cemeteries outside inhabited areas and of building chapels dedicated to Saint Michael nearby — whose role was to weigh souls after death in anticipation of divine judgement — it is highly probable that the original structure had such an origin, and that a cemetery existed nearby from the outset. When the town centre moved to the newly built castle in the late 12th century, the chapel came under its sphere of influence, which undoubtedly increased its importance, eventually leading to its elevation as the parish church of the community. The first mention in historical records dates to 1181.

Very little is known about the building's structure at that time, except that the apse faced east, as was customary in the early centuries of Christianity.

In the 1347 document concerning the investiture of an ecclesiastical benefice ( Consignationes ), parish priest Uberto Fragonerio reported that the rectory was located adjacent to the church, to the northwest, and that the cemetery lay to the west. Both were protected on the north and east sides by the castle moat, which thus included them within its perimeter. The church also owned another sedimen (a small dwelling) immediately to the east, beyond the moat and bordering the road leading to the church itself. The benefice was completed by 26 plots of land, totalling 240 pertiche, mostly arable or used for forage.

With the growth of the population, its small size made replacement necessary in the late 16th century. The original Lombard building was demolished, and its foundations were reused for the construction of the new one. The report from the pastoral visit of Bishop Carlo Bascapè on May 2, 1596 (when the work was still incomplete), along with the 1618 document concerning the transfer of the parish benefice, provides a detailed description of the new structure: it measured twenty-eight braccia in length (including the choir), twelve in width, and ten in height (one braccio — arm — equates to approximately 60 cm); it consisted of a single nave with a wooden ceiling and a bell tower thirty braccia high, located to the left of the choir. The choir itself was semicircular and, like the earlier structure, faced east. To the north were the clergy house, sacristy, and cemetery; to the east, the access road; to the south, the rectory garden; and to the west, the rectory's vineyard and fields. Inside, the ceiling was painted, and the altar was made of inlaid wood, surmounted by a gilded wooden tabernacle two braccia high, supported by four angels, accompanied by six candlesticks and a small cross.

Quoting the Diocesan Historical Archive, Franca Franzosi reports that in 1669 the church received a donation of relics, and she hypothesizes that among them was a fragment of the Holy Cross.

Several changes were subsequently introduced, as recorded in the 1792 parish report compiled by the curate Giuseppe Tosi. To facilitate access for the faithful, the orientation of the building was reversed: the new entrance was placed to the east, facing the village, while the choir was relocated to the west. Following a land exchange with Count Caroelli in 1748, the count’s property now bordered the church to the north and west, while the cemetery had been moved to the south. The report also notes that the building included a baptistery, had well-maintained, whitewashed and polished interior walls, and a rustic exterior. The original wooden ceiling had been replaced with a masonry vault. The choir featured comfortable seating for both clergy and laypeople, with men and women seated separately. There were no statues — only a few paintings, fully aligned with liturgical norms. Finally, the church housed three altars: the main altar, one dedicated to the Blessed Virgin of Loreto, and one to Saint Raphael.

As the population continued to grow, the building required expansion, which was carried out in the early 19th century. Specifically, the two side aisles were added. As for the interior, records indicate the presence of confessionals and a choir furnished with wooden stalls (seats separated by armrests). Furthermore, in 1832, the city council decided to raise the bell tower by several meters and to replace its tiled roof with a spire. To ensure the stability of the new structure, most of the embrasures were sealed, and the base was reinforced.

Franca Franzosi reports an 1853 inventory confirming the presence of a fragment of the Holy Cross in the church, though it remains unclear when the relic arrived. She herself hypothesizes that its presence may be linked to the cult of Saint Helena, who is depicted in a fresco in the Oratorio di Santa Maria.

Around 1850, a third nave was added adjacent to the bell tower, but the unusual addition—seen as a disfigurement that compromised the building’s symmetry—was poorly received by the population. After several decades of discontent, the municipal administration, under Mayor Carlo Geri, ordered the nave closed during the 1899 renovations, relegating it to a passageway and storage room. During the same renovations, the church was extended by ten meters on the front side, the old façade (which featured a small portico with granite columns and an ancient statue of Saint Michael ) was demolished, and a new one was installed. Designed by Novara architect Marcello Zorzoli, the new façade included a lunette above the portal decorated with a fresco of the same saint. Also between 1899 and 1900, a new floor was laid at the expense of the local population, a building was constructed next to the north side of the choir to house the organ on its upper floor, and the entire church was frescoed by Rodolfo Gambini, a painter from Alessandria.

In 1903, a wooden cross was erected in the square in front of the building to commemorate the Holy Missions held between 27 December 1902 and 6 January 1903.

In 1925, the organ was relocated from the north side of the choir to the rear of the church, above the entrance, on the initiative of parish priest Carlo De Gasperis.

In 1934, to mark the Holy Year, the wooden cross in front of the building was replaced with a granite column.

In his 1948 monograph on Garbagna, Ernesto Colli reported that the old cemetery was located immediately south of the building. By the time of his writing, however, the road leading to the new cemetery had already been built in its place, flanked by a double row of plane trees.

With the decree of 11 October 1986, the church's civil legal personality was transferred to the parish, which was thereby recognised as a civilly acknowledged ecclesiastical entity.

In 1992, thanks to the efforts of local physician Giacomo Perolini and his wife Emma Clavenna — both well-known scholars of local history and art — the 18th-century canvas depicting the patron saint Michael was restored.

In 1996, a group of Garbagna residents undertook a large-scale project of cleaning, enhancement, and conservative restoration of the building, under the direction of parish priest Giovanni Fornaroli and Roberto Fregonara. The restoration of the Lourdes Grotto, carried out by Luigi Casalchini and Giuseppe Facchetti, was part of this initiative and was reopened on October 6th.

In 2013, after a stratigraphic investigation, the facade was renovated by the restorer Federico Barbieri from Pombia.

In addition to religious activities, the church has hosted various musical and singing initiatives over the years, organized by the municipality, the parish, and local volunteer associations (see box Musical and singing activities ).

The original oratory was built by the Lombards, on the site of the previous pagan temple, and dedicated to their patron saint. Although he had no concrete evidence to support this claim, historian Lino Cassani was convinced of it, based on numerous accounts of an 11th-century colony of Lombard landowners in Garbagna, who may have financed its construction. The history of Garbagna itself offers further support for this theory. Until the 11th century, the original nucleus of the town was located farther to the north-east, near the ancient Roman road and the Oratorio di Santa Maria, rather than in the area of the present-day church. Given the Lombard custom of locating cemeteries outside inhabited areas and of building chapels dedicated to Saint Michael nearby — whose role was to weigh souls after death in anticipation of divine judgement — it is highly probable that the original structure had such an origin, and that a cemetery existed nearby from the outset. When the town centre moved to the newly built castle in the late 12th century, the chapel came under its sphere of influence, which undoubtedly increased its importance, eventually leading to its elevation as the parish church of the community. The first mention in historical records dates to 1181.