| Brescia
and the surrounding area Lake Iseo and Franciacorta
The Camonica Valley
Lake Garda and Sabbia Valley
Home Course |
Stopping places of devotion along the Chiese River The birth of sanctuaries, such as the Visello
in Preseglie or the Cornelles in Provaglio, is usually linked to an apparition or miracles
- The Archeological Museum of Gavardo preserves a bear skeleton from the caves.
 During the Hungarian invasions, SABBIO CHIESE, as other villages in the
Sabbia Valley, was endowed with a fortress on a limestone spur that dominated the town.
In Sabbio it is worth stopping also at the church of San Michele (XV-XVI cent.), in
Roman-Gothic style. It has a double sloped façade with a rose window and the interior is
pronounced by four strongly pointed arches.
Along the state road ss 237 that takes us to Brescia, shortly after the village of Odolo,
there is a turn off on the right (km 1.5) in the territory of AGNOSINE to the little
church of San Lino. Its origin precedes the XIV cent.; with a circular plan, restored and
enlarged several times. Noteworthy, as well as some of the exterior frescos from the XVI
cent., are two votive frescos inside, which tell of graces received by the people.
Continuing, we pass the village of Agnosine and arrive at BIONE, of which the church of
the Pieve was, when it was built between the XVI-XVII cent. of stone blocks dragged from
the Aspino Valley cave, the biggest church in the Sabbia Valley. It contains engraved
designs by Boscaì.
A wood sculpture of mysterious origin is preserved in PRESEGLIE in the 1700s parish of the
Santi Pietro e Paolo. It is of a Dead St. Mary in such refined oriental taste, that its
origin is guessed to be in some part of the Mediterranean controlled by Venice. The
statue, preserved in a glass urn, is a very rare object in northern Italy and comes from
the sanctuary of the Madonna di Visello (XVI cent.), like the Apostles, though are made
locally (attribution to Boscaì is doubtful) and are presently being restored.
BARGHE merits a stop for its church of San Giorgio, rebuilt at the end of the XVI cent.
with the addition in the 1700s of the choir-stalls and presbytery. The four lateral wooden
altars are works by Boscaì.
From Barghe, crossing the state road and going straight on, we reach PROVAGLIO VAL SABBIA
to visit the sanctuary of the Madonna delle Cornelle, which was built in a place where in
the XVII cent. some youths found a relief of the Virgin Mary miraculously shining. There
is a votive fresco under the portico as thanks for protection during the Spanish War of
Succession (beginning of the XVIII cent.).
Going down along the Chiese River to VOBARNO, we see passing over in a single depressed
arch, a beautiful stone bridge from the end of the 1500s in pure Venetian style. The
church of Santa Maria Assunta, constructed in the XVIII cent. in place of the 1300s
church, has some Roman tombstones walled into the base of the façade.
The ROE’ VOLCIANO hill from which rises the church of San Pietro in Vincoli, built at
the beginning of the XVI cent., was considered sacred by the pagans and remains have been
found here of a Christian necropolis and of a previous basilica.
GAVARDO was, since the beginning of the year 1000, part of a great feud of the bishop of
Brescia. Next to the church is the Casa del Vescovo, a beautiful 1400s building in little
San Bernardino Square. It is now an organ of the Civic Archeological Museum of the Sabbia
Valley; in one room, known as "the bishop’s room" and decorated with a late
1500s fresco, there are 19 small painted wooden boards exhibited, taken from the ceiling
of the adjoining room. They represent allegories to vices and virtues and bishop’s
coats of arms.
By the south entrance of Gavardo, visit also the church of San Rocco (end of the XV
cent.), which contains votive frescos from the XV-XVI centuries and a wooden Christ
Crucified. For the key, go to the house on the bridge by Piazza Fanti.
The side of the (house) Casa Alberghini, built in the 1400s, facing via Capoborgo is
particularly well preserved with beautiful Gothic windows with terracotta tile frames.
THE MILK THAT CURED
The sanctuary of the Madonna del Visello is usually closed. A
good excuse to visit it is the characteristic country road (km 2.5) which arrives at the
hamlet of Gazzane, by following a small torrent in the shade of lush trees. The church was
constructed after the apparition of the Virgin before the farmer De Dossi (circa 1522),
who was ordered to milk a six month old heifer to give miraculous milk to invalids.
The only surviving castle in the Sabbia Valley
The Rock of Sabbio (X cent.) is the only survivor of an ancient
Sabbia Valley defence system. In the first half of the XVI cent. an oratory was
transformed into two churches, one laid on top of the other, which preserved the structure
of the castle: the one above with a long nave has cross beams on the ceiling with
variously decorated bricks (1527). At the far south side there are slits and
machicolation. Some 1500s votive frescos decorate the walls. In 1588 the Pope
deconsecrated the church so that the building would again protect the inhabitants. It was
reconsecrated in 1645. On the exterior is a 1700s arcade with marble columns. The defence
system is perfectly preserved with three surrounding walls. You enter from the small
square below climbing up 107 granite steps. After the first door is the small church San
Nicola da Tolentino, of which the interior is furnished with the Museum of Farming
Culture. You must book at the Town Hall, tel 0365/85119; to visit the Rock, contact the
parish, tel 0365/85168 and the museum, curator-Enrico Morelli, tell 0365/85127.
The bear skeleton from the caves
 The Archeological Museum in Gavardo, founded in 1956 after the
discovery in a nearby cave of an Ursus Spelaeus skeleton, preserves fossils found in the
Sabbia and Trompia Valleys and at Lake Garda. In the prehistoric section is a dagger made
of flint-stone from 6000 years ago, arrow heads and "bell-shaped" vases. One
room is dedicated to the Lucone zone excavations in Polpenazze; including remains from the
Bronze Age (II millennia BC) and a pirogue (prehistoric canoe from a tree trunk).
The Roman necropolis (I-IV cent. AD), however, is called Lugone. It is in the territory of
Salò from which comes the funeral equipment exhibited in one room: the most significant
piece is a vase-gourd on one side of which there is a relief of the Indian Apotheosis of
Bacchus, on the other side, Hercules killing Laomedon. This is an "unicum", a
sole existing exemplar, in perfect condition. Similar pieces are on exhibit in New York,
Cairo and in Saint Germain (France).
Open Mon., Wed, Thurs. 9-12; Sat 9-12 and 14-17. For a guided visit, book by tel.
0365/371474.
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