Archpriestal Parish Church – St. Peter and St. Mary Assumed into Heaven
History:
Since the 11th century, Vilminore was home to two churches: the Pieve of Scalve and the Parish of St. Mary. Due to conflicts arising from having two parish churches in the same territory, in 1691 it was decided to demolish both churches and merge them into a single Pieve in the center of the village. This decision was formalized by the Decree of Union in 1691 by the Bishop of Bergamo, Daniele Giustiniani. The church was built on land donated by the Capitanei of Scalve, specifically where the Palazzotto of Cav. Tomaso Capitani once stood, which had been destroyed in 1628 by order of Venice at the expense of the community due to his misdeeds.
The church was opened for worship on July 31, 1702, and consecrated by Bishop Luigi Speranza in 1874.
The Structure and Paintings:
The church portal is surmounted by an 18th-century Madonna by the Calegari of Brescia. The building consists of a single nave with six side altars and a large presbytery.
The first altar on the right side of the nave is dedicated to Saints Chiara, Gaetano, and Defendente, protectors of the valley.
Next, still on the right ascending to the presbytery, is the Altar of Saint Joseph, housing the painting “The Passing of Saint Joseph” by L. Quarena, 1824.
The third lateral right altar is dedicated to Saint Catherine of Alexandria, with a painting by Domenico Carpinoni depicting the Mystic Marriage of Saint Catherine, originating from the Parish of Santa Maria.
The first altar on the left side of the nave is dedicated to Saint Anthony of Padua.
Following this is the Altar of the Holy Rosary, where a Madonna is displayed, surrounded by the fifteen panels of the Mysteries of the Rosary.
The third lateral left altar is dedicated to the Savior, with a painting by the Scalve artist Enrico Albrici, active in the mid-18th century.
The choir surrounding the main altar is from the 18th century and made of polychrome marble by the Fantoni Workshop of Rovetta.
On the central wall of the presbytery is a painting by Giovanni Raggi depicting the Assumption of Mary into Heaven, and on the side walls, paintings by Enrico Albrici depicting Saint Peter healing the cripple and the fall of Simon Magus.
The painting in the gilded wooden apse is by Abbot Giovanni Albrici, son of Enrico.
Another fresco by Enrico Albrici is visible on the counter-facade.
The pulpit was made in 1611 for the ancient Pieve of Scalve.
The Chapel of the Immaculate Conception
Adjacent to the main altar is the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception, blessed as the Church of the Disciplinati in 1763. On the altar is a statue of the Immaculate Conception, blessed in Lourdes in 1886.
The Bell Tower
The Bell Tower of Vilminore is the tallest building in the Val di Scalve, standing 67 meters high.
