san_giovanni_baggista

Oratorio by San Giovanni Battista

The Oratory of San Giovanni Battista, the Pedrazzini houses, the Church of Madonna Addolorata, the Stations of the Cross and the Church of San Bernardo are part of the cultural heritage, which will be protected and preserved.

The chapel was built by the founder Giovanni Battista Pedrazzini I in 1749 in honour of the patron saint.

Shortly after, the house behind the Oratory was built, which was called Ca' di Canonic because it was inhabited by the canons of the Oratory (the landslide destroyed part of the building).

On 26 March 2002, the ecclesiastical foundation "Fondazione Oratorio San Giovanni Battista in Campo Vallemaggia già juspatronato Pedrazzini" was established and the chapel was transferred to it. Between 2002 and 2004, it took care of the extensive renovation, which was urgently needed due to the shifting of the earth and the moisture-soaked walls.

The entrance door is located under the arch between the oratory and the founder's house. It is marked by a frame of "Beola" stone, in which the initials of the founder and the date of construction are engraved. There is also a fresco of the family coat of arms above the door.

The oratory consists of a presbytery and especially the vault and the wall behind the altar are gilded and decorated with frescoes by the famous painter Giuseppe Mattia Borgnis (1701-1761).

The ceiling, on the other hand, was painted by Giacomo Pedrazzi (1810-1879) some time later. The walls are decorated with pilaster strips of artificial marble.

The oratory has not undergone any major changes over the centuries.