Church of Saints Gervasius and Protasius

The purest example of Valtellina Baroque

Located in the heart of Bormio, the Church of Saints Gervasius and Protasius is the main religious building in the area. Built between 1628 and 1641 to a design by Gaspare Aprile of Lugano on the remains of an early medieval building, it features a façade that is the perfect expression of sober Valtellina Baroque, although the two small white marble gates date back to the 13th century.

Inside, the church has a single nave with eight side chapels and a deep presbytery enclosed by a flat wall. The Baroque style is evident in its light stuccoes and wooden furnishings, from the altars to the ciborium, from the pulpit to the chancel. Of particular interest is the Lamentation of Christ sculpture in the chapel under the organ, consisting of seven statues sculpted in 1647 by Giovanni Pietro Della Rocca and arranged in niches around a body of Christ that was thought to be lost, but was recently rediscovered.

The altars and walls feature many paintings on canvas, from a range of styles and eras: note the two canvases with scenes depicting the eponymous saints by Giuseppe Prina from Bergamo in 1720. On the vault of the corridor connecting the sacristy with the rectory house are frescoes dating back to 1393 depicting Christ Pantocrator and Our Lady of the Milk and apostles and prophets, considered among the oldest in Bormio.