Church of Saints Cosmas and Damian

The parish church of Saints Cosmas and Damian consists of a single nave, covered by barrel vaults with five bays, divided by as many transverse arches resting on Corinthian pilasters. These are bordered by the arches of the three side chapels, and by the blind wall where the side doors open, originally like the others, but later walled up. The chapels are covered by a barrel vault.

The nave and the presbytery are connected by two wall segments placed diagonally: on one side there are the organ and the wooden neo-classical faux-marble choir, while on the other side there used to be the pulpit (now there is the niche enclosing the statue of St. John Bosco). Below, there are two doors, one for the sacristy and the other for the bell tower and the confraternity sacristy. The presbytery is low, rectangular, covered by a ribbed vault and choir with a horizontal termination joined by curved side elements.

FRESCOES AND PAINTINGS

The barrel vault has medallions in the third, fourth and fifth bays, decorated with frescoes attributed to Domenico Quaglia of Loino in 1740. They depict the Last Supper, the Resurrection and the Ascension. In the medallion depicting the Last Supper, on the step to the right is the following inscription: “DOM.us QUALES, DE LAINO COM, SI PINXIT 1740.”

The medallions in the first and second bays feature frescoes depicting St. Roch and St. Anthony protector of animals, frescoed by Stefano Salvetti da Breno.
The ribbed vault hosts other medallions with angels by the same authors. The presbytery vault includes, in the centre the ‘Triumph of Saints Cosmas and Damian’. in the pendentives and lunettes the ‘4 Evangelists’ and the ‘Cardinal Virtues’*, in monochrome, works by Domenico Voltolini da Lovere from Sovere, known as Nasino. The works date back to 1732/33, together with the ‘Martyrdom of the Patron Saints’ frescoed in the choir lunette flanked by two angels in monochrome (these works were paid 388 Lire).

On the counter façade above the neoclassical internal porch, there is a fresco depicting the ‘Adoration of the Magi’ by Stefano Salvetti da Breno.
In the first chapel on the south side, there is a simple altar dedicated to St Eurosia. The statue in the urn depicts St Eurosia, the work of the Tyrolean Alois Koster, made in 1877 and donated by miners working in Sardinia. During the 1992 restoration, this altar was finished with the missing parts (columns, tympanum,…). Next to it is a canvas depicting the ‘Mystic Marriage of St Catherine, St Charles, St Lucy and St Louis’, painted at the end of the 17th or beginning of the 18th century.
On the side wall, a fresco depicts St Angela Merici, work of the painter Olini.