The San Carlo's church is found perched on a rocky summit overlooking the river and the town. Its construction started in the early seventeenth century and continued until 1630, date painted on the facade to indicate, according to the Valsesian custom, the end of the works. Don Pietro Bertolino, the benefactor of Campertogno, wanted the construction of the building.
The structure of the church is that of the religious architecture of the XVI-XVII century, with some Gothic elements. The architectural ensemble is particularly impressive, the only example of the genus in the upper valley. The external fresco represents San Carlo, painted by Giovanni Avondo in 1823.
The church was used for various tasks: theatre, storehouse, laboratory, barn and stable. It was also used as a place of hospitalization for the sick in times of pestilence. In 1924 it was asked to demolish it to create a monument to the fallen of the great one war in its place, however, the population opposed it.
The church was tied to the hospital of San Carlo, erected at the behested of Don Pietro Bertolino. He was aware of the disadvantaged conditions in which the poor of his town lived and the pilgrims who passed through the valley. So, with the will of 11 August 1623, he decided to bequeath his house, located near the river Sesia in Campertogno, so that it could be transformed into a “hospitaletto” to give shelter to the poor of Campertogno and to pilgrims and wayfarers who passed through to go to the high or lower valley. All were given bread, soup and bed with the stipulation that those who not were burdened with infirmities could only stay one night there. The hospital was erected on 23 August 1628.
Unfortunately, today the building that housed the hospital is not known.
The fresco of San Carlo.
The possible structures that could house the hospital (?)
- Photos by Jessica Casaccia ti.supmacinu|aiccasac.j#| (August 2021) and thank you to Maria Grazia Cagna Pagnone for the precious suggestions.
- Locate the item on this Google Map
Bibliography
- Molino, G. Campertogno. Vita, arte e tradizione di un paese di montagna e della sua gente, Edizioni EDA, Torino 1985.
- Molino, G. Campertogno. Storia e tradizioni di una comunità dell'alta Valsesia, Centro Studi Zeisciu, Magenta 2006.