Loveno, a hamlet of Menaggio in greenery above the lake, has Santi Lorenzo e Agnese as its parish church: the building is of 1725-1738 and carries a Baroque facade with statues of the patrons, a Serassi organ of 1776 and the frescoes by Luigi Tagliaferri of 1898.
History
In 1641 Bishop Lazzaro Carafino set up the parish, carving its territory from that of the collegiate church of Santo Stefano di Menaggio, and named it for the martyrs Lawrence and Agnes. In 1651 it is already included in the vicariate and pieve of Menaggio; in 1781 it had 245 souls and in 1788 it was under the community’s patronage, with 235 parishioners. Within its boundaries was the oratory of the Immaculate, under the Bolza patronage. The regional record dates the building of the present church to 1725-1738, with the decoration by Luigi Tagliaferri; Wikipedia recalls that the new church was laid out by turning the earlier one a quarter turn, the 16th-century Madonna della Cintura, born from the enlargement of an old square oratory.
What to see
The Baroque facade has statues of the patrons, medieval fragments and, on the rectory, an ancient fresco of Saint Lawrence. Inside, the church, of certainly ancient foundation, keeps a Madonna of the Seven Sorrows of the 16th century, 17th-century paintings, an 18th-century scagliola altar frontal, a 15th-century holy-water stoup and a Serassi organ of 1776. The frescoes of 1898 are by Tagliaferri; among the wooden sculptures are the Madonna della Cintura by L. Mattielli (1737) and a dead Christ.
Practical information
- The church is in piazza San Lorenzo, in Loveno; according to the Comune di Menaggio access is free during opening hours, which are not given.
- We found no other official hours: it is best to ask the parish. In Loveno there is also Villa Mylius Vigoni.
- The parish is part of the pastoral community with Santo Stefano, Croce and Nobiallo.
Sources
- Lombardia Beni Culturali, Chiesa dei SS. Lorenzo e Agnese, complesso (record CO250-00209)
- SIUSA, Parrocchia dei SS. Lorenzo e Agnese in Loveno
- myLakeComo, Church of SS. Lorenzo e Agnese, Menaggio
- Comune di Menaggio, Parrocchia dei Santi Lorenzo e Agnese a Loveno
- Wikipedia, Chiesa dei Santi Lorenzo e Agnese (Loveno) entry.