Parish church built in the early twentieth century in eclectic style.
It was built on the site of an ancient church demolished in 1897, of which the bell tower, part of the apse and the main door remain.
Of particular value is the dome, 52 meters high with a diameter of 16 m.
• History of the parish church
The parish church of San Giovanni Battista, in eclectic style with the characters of the neogothic was built, with the notable commitment of the parish priest don Alessandro Biagio Soave, at the beginning of the century on the site of an older four-nave church demolished in 1897 and having the façade facing Via Maestra.
Of the ancient building remain the bell tower, part of the apse (altar of the Madonna of Lourdes) with the portal worked and relief in stone, and the main wooden door, now placed at the side entrance placed on Via Maestra.
The building was built according to a design by the engineer Francesco Gualandi from Bologna who was assisted by his son Giuseppe during the execution.
In October 1897 the project was presented to the population. On the town square a stage was erected from which Gualandi illustrated the characteristics of the church. It was decided to reduce the existing one and the construction of the new one, whose cost was estimated in 144,000 italian lire.
On 11 November, San Martino, excavations began for the foundations of the building.
Curiously, during the excavations, on the eve of Christmas '97, Michele Rocca, later called “Miclen dai Bardan”, found some gold coins that he tried to hide.
Giovanni Berruti was next to him, who noticed it and reported it to the parish priest. The latter summoned the Rocca, threatening it with charges of embezzlement.
The Rocca then went to the Mombaruzzo praetor and delivered 156 coins in exchange for a fee of 350 lire. Coins, some good artistic value, yielded around 4,000 lire.
• Laying the first stone
Sunday, May 1, 1898, the day of the Patronage of St. Giuseppe, in the presence of the bishop of Acqui, Monsignor Pietro Balestra, the first stone was laid.
The works proceeded expeditiously. At the end of 1899, the 52-meter-high dome with an internal diameter of 16 meters was erected. At the beginning of the 900 the work was almost completed, while funds will be raised for the purchase of statues, altars and various furnishings.
In the 900, with an expert witness by the architect Gualandi, it appears that the cost of the work, as performed, was 102,135 lire and, for what was still to be done, was 57,775 lire.
• The inauguration
The inauguration was scheduled for November 18, 1900. Many works were still unfinished and the whole population participated with enthusiasm and generosity so that everything was ready and in order for that date. In the afternoon the bishop mons. Balestra, accompanied by the priests, entered the church and gave the first blessing.
In the first decade of 1900 the various altars were erected.
• The decoration
In 1930 were commissioned the painter Luigi Morgari of Turin and the decorator Giovanni Lamberti to embellish the walls and the vault of the church. Signed by the Morgari are the two frescoes of the presbytery depicting “Il trionfo di Cristo Re (The Triumph of Christ the King)” and “La Decollazione del Battista (The Beheading of the Baptist)”.
Also, of Morgari is the “Crocefisso del Coro (Crucifix of the Choir)” and the “Quattro Evangelisti (Four Evangelists)” located at the top of the chapels dedicated to Maria Ausiliatrice, S. Giuseppe, S. Luigi and S. Stefano.
• The consecration
On 23 April of the jubilee year 1934, the church of Fontanile, now finished in detail, was consecrated by the bishop Monsignor Del Ponte during the celebration of the Mass Sung, in the moved presence of the population of the town.
Source: Article by Stefano Ivaldi - No. 25 of L'Ancora of 29/06/2003 (original in Italian - translated into English not by the author)
For more information: https://www.beweb.chiesacattolica.it/
See also...
• Municipium, the App of your Municipality
