The Romanesque church of St. Euphemia of Incino d'Erba is one of the oldest churches plebeian Larian Triangle, the province of Como and the Archdiocese of Milan. The parish of Incino is one of the largest and most ancient churches in the area (in 1285 they were awarded the well 61 churches), the church is located on the ancient road network that connected Aquileia Brescia, Bergamo, Como and also mentioned in Ivrea Tavola Peutingeriana. Incino is mentioned by Pliny the Younger as Licini forum. The church is dedicated to St. Euphemia of Chalcedon, a saint particularly dear to the followers of the Three-Chapter Controversy because the Council of Chalcedon, which was heavily influenced by the schismatics, had done right in the basilica dedicated to this saint. The bishop of Como Agrippino played a particularly active role in the spread of tricapitolino believe and worship the holy, and the dedication of the church of Grass is traced back to this period and these events together with other dedications of the basilica of St. Eufemia in Grado, the church of Santa Eufemia Como (now the church of San Fedele), the basilica of St. Euphemia on the island Comacina, one of Oggiono, Teglio and that of the Castle of Musso. It is likely that, given the presence of older structures, the churches of Como, and the Island of Incino worship is older and goes back directly to SANT'ABBONDIO that the Council of Chalcedon had a starring role. The original construction of the church dates back to the mid-fifth century. In the following centuries it has undergone several expansions and renovations, especially the interior, the latest being in 1574. This work, although sometimes heavy, not canceled altogether primitive physiognomy. The building with masonry pilasters, is rectangular with a single nave with an apse ceiling trusses. The semicircular apse is the oldest part of the church, in its outer wall are still discernible the old windows of the early Christian era clogged at later dates. The building initially with the rearmost front was extended in the sixteenth century in his front until it is close to the bell tower. The campaign of archaeological excavations conducted in 1994 under the direction of professor Sauro Gelichi University of Pisa and Dr. Isabella Noble Museum of Como, has allowed the recovery of the old system of early medieval baptistery dedicated to Saint John the Baptist, as documented by historical sources. Baptistery stood in front of the church, was a square with a square apse added to the east later and center the circular baptismal font, built over another older form of the same. The imposing bell tower 32.7 meters covering a large part of the entrance façade, was built in the eleventh century with commitment of materials taken from Roman times and has three overlapping orders of single-light, mullioned windows with columns variously ornate and initially was detached from the construction of the church. In medieval times it doubled as a watchtower and defense of the whole parish. At the same time it was built it was also excavated the crypt three apses that was placed under the church. The crypt and baptistery unsafe were demolished in the sixteenth century with the loss of dignity that provost passed in favor of the church of Santa Maria Rising in downtown Grass. In the southern part they huddled body building buildings dating more recent. Among the apse of the baptistry and the construction of the church they were found several graves attesting to the use of the cemetery. There are two testimonies figurative Romanesque: the sculptural fragment depicting Christ inserted above the door and within a valuable marble holy water font with human heads in relief, is engraved the date MCCXII (1212) and the letters PAMEF, the meaning of which is It was interpreted as: "Petrus Antonius me fecit. Inside, on the right, a chapel that was set up by the most important local family of Parravicini, preserves an ancient fresco of the Madonna reworked in the last century. In front of the chapel of the Madonna, there is a folksy late medieval fresco, depicting the Virgin and Child with Saints and patrons; To the sides of two paddles of the XVI century depicting "The Annunciation", the right and the "Virgin and Child with St. John the Baptist", left, of unknown authors. But the most notable work of great artistic value is a large wooden crucifix from the XVI century with painted figure of Christ, Giotto's style. In the boxes, placed in the four end points of the Cross and came to light only during the restoration of 1983, are portrayed: left Our Lady of Sorrows, dressed in black, on the right St. John, in high Christ the Redeemer pointing with his right hand SS Trinity and with his left hand holding the world in the cup bottom picker blood of Christ.

• published: 21 Jul 2015
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