In Villa di Vesio there is one of the most ancient rural chapels of the whole Tremosine sul Garda area: a beautiful country church, as evidenced by the Latin name "villa", meaning rural area.
From the pre-Christian era to the present day
The building stands on an ancient pre-Christian temple, and it has looked as it does today since the 16th century.
The visit of the bishop of Brescia Bollani was an important step in the development of this small church - the bishop ordered the complete remake of the building, in order to make it more welcoming for worshippers. At the time, the church contained an altar dedicated to San Giuliano, and another altar with no decoration.
For this reason, mass was no longer said until the church was completely restored, and several ornaments were added in addition to the sacristy and the bell tower, dating back to 1650.
The church of Villa was a pilgrimage destination throughout dark times in history: famines and pestilences did not spare Tremosine sul Garda during the Middle Ages.
It was the subject of numerous legacies and donations, for this was one of the richest churches in the area and could afford a chaplain to recite the Holy Mass.
The interior of the Villa church
The altarpiece is dedicated to Christ who sanctifies bread and wine, together with St. Francis, St. Charles and the Evangelists.
The church is in fact dedicated to the Blessed Sacrament - the ultimate aim of this work of art is to state an important Christian concept, the strong presence of Christ within the Eucharist.
The painting probably dates back to the 17th century, like the majority of artworks in the church, including the statues of the Madonna and Santa Teresa with the Child.
Curious fact: an altar facing East
The church has a rather particular orientation - the entrance faces the mountains and the main altar is oriented towards the valley. This feature is also found in many churches around Brescia: it allows worshippers to pray facing East and towards the sun, the symbol of Jesus Christ.
