St. Peter and St. Paul's Church, Brebbia

About

Santi Pietro e Paolo ('St. Peter and Paul', Italian: Chiesa dei Santi Pietro e Paolo) is a Catholic church in Brebbia in the province of Varese, Italy. The church was built in 1100 and is a national monument. It is considered one of the best preserved Romanesque buildings in the province.

The St. Peter and Paul Church is situated in the centre of Brebbia, in the region of Lombardy. The town was the seat of a castle of the Milanese Archbishops in the medieval period.

The Church of St. Peter and Paul is one of the best preserved churches in Italy. [ citation needed ] It was built in the 12th century by Julius of Novara, who was allied with the Romanic [ clarification needed ] army. They decided that they wanted to replace an already existing church with a much bigger one on the same location. The St. Peter and St. Paul Church was built under Roman influence and is characterized by a strong Romanesque style. The church features various artworks, including paintings and frescoes dedicated to Queen Mary, St. Peter and St. Paul, the patrons of the town.

St. Paul and Peter Church is associated with the myth of St. Julius, the founder of the church. The myth tells that Julius came with his brother from Greece to evangelize the area close to Orta Lake, and decided to destroy the temple of Minerva and build the Brebbia Church. The church has undergone various renovations, including the change of the central nave in the 17th century, which now includes more complex trusses, and restyling of the artwork.

The church is located on or near the site of an earlier Roman temple dedicated to Minerva, built to celebrate a victory against the Celts, who occupied the cities of Milan and Como.

Following Theodosius I 's decision to adopt the Catholic religion, the Romans replaced Minerva's temple with a Christian church. This original church was subsequently replaced with the current church of St. Peter and Paul. The construction of the new Church was due partially to increasing population in the region.

During the 5th century, after several barbaric invasions against the town of Brebbia, the church gained importance and was granted the title of pieve, becoming the centre of the archbishops of Insubria. The church lost the title of pieve in 1567, when it was passed to the city of Milan.

Similarities with regional church architecture

The church evinces architectural analogies with other churches of the area. These churches were also built around the 12th century and include Church of S. Maria del Tiglio [ it ] ; Church of S. Antonio of San Fedele Intelvi ; Church of S. Vittore di Bedero ; and S. Pietro di Gallarate [ it ]. These churches are characterized by a Romanesque architecture and were based on three naves and one apse. The apse are all located at the end of the main nave.

Art critics have advanced the hypothesis that all of these were built under the main guidance of Julius of Novara, due to the similarity in style.

The Church of St Peter and Paul contains several references to the Besozzi family. This family gained power in the 12th century and financed the construction of various churches and monuments, including the Church of St. Peter and Paul in Brebbia. This funding allowed the family to gain power in the area and to obtain favourable treatment in the affairs of the Catholic Church. The family had a coat of arms characterized by a golden flying eagle, which features in the church's fresco of the crucifixion.

The church is located on or near the site of an earlier Roman temple dedicated to Minerva, built to celebrate a victory against the Celts, who occupied the cities of Milan and Como.

Following Theodosius I 's decision to adopt the Catholic religion, the Romans replaced Minerva's temple with a Christian church. This original church was subsequently replaced with the current church of St. Peter and Paul. The construction of the new Church was due partially to increasing population in the region.

During the 5th century, after several barbaric invasions against the town of Brebbia, the church gained importance and was granted the title of pieve, becoming the centre of the archbishops of Insubria. The church lost the title of pieve in 1567, when it was passed to the city of Milan.

The church evinces architectural analogies with other churches of the area. These churches were also built around the 12th century and include Church of S. Maria del Tiglio [ it ] ; Church of S. Antonio of San Fedele Intelvi ; Church of S. Vittore di Bedero ; and S. Pietro di Gallarate [ it ]. These churches are characterized by a Romanesque architecture and were based on three naves and one apse. The apse are all located at the end of the main nave.

Art critics have advanced the hypothesis that all of these were built under the main guidance of Julius of Novara, due to the similarity in style.

The Church of St Peter and Paul contains several references to the Besozzi family. This family gained power in the 12th century and financed the construction of various churches and monuments, including the Church of St. Peter and Paul in Brebbia. This funding allowed the family to gain power in the area and to obtain favourable treatment in the affairs of the Catholic Church. The family had a coat of arms characterized by a golden flying eagle, which features in the church's fresco of the crucifixion.

St. Peter and Paul Church has a typical Romanesque architecture : it is elementary and characterized by three naves and one apse, located at the end of the main nave and orientated to the east. There is a transept that comes out from the secondary naves.

The main nave was originally characterized by a truss, substituted in the 17th century by a vault. This renovation work destabilized the building and because of that it required further structural modifications, which include the addition of tie-rods and metal slabs. These additions still remain visible on the church exterior.

The wall of the church is made of great blocks of serizzo, granite and stone from Angera ; they are positioned in a linear horizontal order.