Campione, the village halfway between Tremosine sul Garda and Tignale overlooking the lake, has several small churches and chapels, the most important of which is that of Saint Ercolano.
The Church of Sant'Ercolano from the 13th century to today
Campione di Sopra was part of the parish church of Pieve di Tremosine sul Garda, and since 1200 the village was devoted to S. Ercolano, a bishop of Brescia who took refuge in Campione, and the protector of the shores of the lake.
A plaque dated 1283 speaks of a votive shrine dedicated to the saint, built when peace between Brescia and Trento was sealed, but the church itself was built only in the late 1700s.
The church has a very peculiar history - because of its position and small size, excessively small for the rich industrial settlement of Campione, in the early 20th century it was transformed into a bakery.
In 1901 a new, larger church was completed, also dedicated to Sant’Ercolano.
The church inside
The new church of Campione is quite simple - it has a gabled façade, while the interior has some liturgical objects from the old church.
There are also valuable artworks such as the chapel frescoes painted by Zanatello, the main altarpiece by Domenico Tribaudino and the organ dated 1940, built by Pedrini from Sabbioneta, a town close to Mantua.
Over the years, a presbytery and decorations for the high altar were added.
Curious facts
The fascinating village of Campione has always been very important, since ancient times - this is because of its privileged position and the vicinity to water, essential for the development of small industries during the Middle Ages.
It has always been an industrial area thanks to the presence of numerous forges, mills, sawmills and even a paper mill. The economy of Campione is based on industry and tourism, and its architecture changes constantly.
