Borgo Santa Maria...

The quarter takes its name from St. Mary’s Basilica (called “il chiesone” by the people from Lovere).

The population growth led the Bishop of Brescia to issue a decree granting the permission to build an imposing church in this area of Lovere (known as “borgo”) where new woollen mills were establishing and the town wealthiest families working in wool-cloth production were moving.

In accordance with local traditions, the ancient church of St. Martin was built in the 9th century in this part of the village by the monks from Tours, to whom Camonica Valley and Lovere had been given as fiefs by Charlemagne in 774.

This church was initially built at the southern part of a big Roman necropolis, which was located near the place where now St. Clare’s Convent lies.

On the other hand, St. Mary’ Basilica was built at the end of the “borgo” of the same name, which was probably developed outside the medieval walls according to a specific urban and building planning. The basilica was consecrated in 1483. Originally designed as Gothic, the plan of the church was changed to a Lombard-Renaissance design. A Franciscan monastery, which nowadays houses a boarding school, was built next to the northern side of the church in 1513.

BAZZINI PALACE
ST. CLARA’S CHURCH - & FORMER ST. MARTIN’S CHURCH
ST. GEORGE’ S CHURCH
SANCTUARY OF LOVERE SAINTS
ST. JOHN’S SANCTUARY ON MOUNT CALA


BAZZINI PALACE
It was built in the first decades of 17th century in front of St. Mary’s Basilica by Adorno Bazzini, nobleman of the duke Ranuccio Farnese of Parma, who got rich by fighting for the Venetian army. The imposing U-shaped palace is now the seat of the local rectory.

ST. CLARA’S CHURCH - & FORMER ST. MARTIN’S CHURCH
The oratory, dedicated to the Bishop of Tours, was erected outside the ancient defensive wall which surrounded the village, in the “Borgo”, and along the road leading to Camonica Valley. It was built according to the will of the Monks of Tours and it now lies next to the Monastery of St. Clare of the XVI century, which hosts the cloistered daughters of St. Claire. It was later abandoned because it was too small and in 1636 the Bishop Vincenzo Giustiniani, during a pastoral visit, ordered its closure. It was restored in 1980, which allowed to save some of its artistic heritage, among which the frescoes of the apse and the holy stone of the original medieval altar.
It lies near the 9th-century A.C. St. Martin’s, which is said to be the oldest church in Lovere, and it has been housing some enclosed Poor Clare Sisters for more than 450 years. It dates back indeed to the early 1500s.

ST. GEORGE’ S CHURCH
Lovere provostal church was built at the end of the 14th century over the previous medieval tower Soca. It houses a magnificent painting placed on the inner by the Flemish painter Jean de Herdt (1657). The altar-piece of the left altar painted by G. Paolo Cavagna (1556-1627) and the altar-piece of the high altar attributed to Jacopo Palma il Giovane (1544-1628) deserve special mention.

SANCTUARY OF LOVERE SAINTS
The sanctuary is dedicated to Christ, King of the Virgins, and it was consecrated by the bishop of Brescia in 1938. It was built in honour of the Loverese Bartolomea Capitanio and Vincenza Gerosa, who were canonized by Pope Pius XII in 1950. The mosaics and symbols along the porticoed entrance stairs represent the Beatitudes and the Works of Mercy in harmony with the charitable aims of the Congregation “Sisters of Charity” (nowadays known as “Sisters of Holy Child Mary”), which was founded in Lovere by the two saints in 1832. The Congregation spread over many countries not only in Europe, but also in Asia, America and Africa.

Info: tel. +39 035.960147

ST. JOHN’S SANCTUARY ON MOUNT CALA
St. John’s Sanctuary on mount Cala was built at the end of the 14th century probably on the remains of a Medieval fortress belonging to the noble Celery family. The church underwent a radical transformation in 1606 and has remained the same since then.
Featuring a semi-circular window facing towards the west in the upper part of the façade, the front of the Sanctuary has a fully-enclosed porch except for the arched main door with an iron gate.
Inside the church, the nave has four side altars in marble dedicated to St. Rocco, St. Carlo, St. Fermo and the Virgin of Hope. The altarpiece behind the main altar is a valuable work of art by Antonio Cifrondi from Clusone (17th century).