At Dervio, in the village facing the lake, the parish church dedicated to the apostles Peter and Paul, once the seat of the pieve, is a three-aisled basilica of Romanesque origin, much remodelled in the 17th century, which keeps a carved and gilded pulpit and two large canvases by the Cavagna brothers.
History
The parish dates from the 11th century, perhaps on a 6th-century building; the Romanesque church of the 11th-12th century has three aisles, five bays and three apses (Como e il suo Lago, Wikipedia). The Liber Notitiae Sanctorum Mediolani, of the late 13th century, says it was dedicated only to Saint Peter. From the pieve of Dervio the parishes of Mont’Introzzo and Tremenico split off in 1367, Dorio in 1506 and Corenno Plinio in 1566 (Wikipedia).
The 17th century brought the biggest changes: around 1665 the altar of the Madonna of the Rosary was redone and a baptismal font and a confessional of black marble were added; in 1670 and 1672 the Rubini and De Magni families obtained tombs in the church, and their simple slabs can still be seen in the side aisles (Como e il suo Lago).
What to see
Outside remain the hanging arches and three double-splayed single windows, and the bell tower with its bell chamber still has Romanesque forms. Inside, the carved and gilded wooden pulpit stands out, with a Triumph of Rome and two biblical scenes on the resurrection, much like the one in San Giacomo at Bellagio; the Baroque altar is by Antonio Pini and on the raised part the date 1613 can be read. At the sides of the altar stand two large canvases with scenes from the lives of the two apostles, the death of Peter and the conversion of Paul: Como e il suo Lago gives them to the Bergamo painters Giovanni and Francesco Cavagna, Wikipedia to Francesco and Gian Paolo Cavagna, in 1627. There is also a 16th-century Madonna and Child, and the Rosary chapel has slate paintings of 1653 (Wikipedia).
Practical information
- Parish address: piazza XI Febbraio, Dervio, phone 0341 850147 (Como e il suo Lago). We found no official source for opening hours: it is best to ask the parish.
- The parish’s subsidiary churches are Santi Quirico e Giulitta (see its page), San Leonardo, Santa Cecilia and San Gregorio.
Sources
- Como e il suo Lago, La chiesa dei Santi Pietro e Paolo a Dervio
- Wikipedia, Chiesa dei Santi Pietro e Paolo (Dervio) entry.