SHARRYLAND
Oratory of San Donato
It looks from afar like a fairy tale cottage: small, colorful and nestled in the woods
Where is
What it is and where it is
Three kilometers from the village of Oleggio, the old road leading to the Ticino River enters the nature park. Here, among the green trees and grass, stands a small building. It looks almost like a fairy tale cottage with the beautiful colors decorating its facade. However, if one focuses on the subjects depicted, one recognizes sacred themes, and that is exactly how the Oratory of San Donato is identified.
Why it is special
The place is rich in history and totally surrounded by nature. You can reach it by car, but it is highly recommended to go there on foot or by bicycle so you will appreciate more the landscapes of the Ticino Valley Natural Park and its sounds and scents will prepare your spirit for the sight of the small oratory.
Don't miss
On the facade of the building is depicted Saint Rocco. The presence of this saint suggests that this small church was a pilgrimage destination in the past, furthermore, san Rocco has a strong apotropaic significance in warding off the spread of the plague. This is no coincidence, as there is a memorial stone with column in the vicinity of the oratory commemorating a cemetery where those who died of the plague in 1576 and 1630 were buried.
A bit of history
The oratory is mentioned as early as 973 and 989 in some documents. At one time it depended on the Benedictine abbey of Sesto Calende and was linked to the Ospedale Maggiore of Milan. The facade depicts the "Transport of the House of Loreto between St. Donato and St. Rocco," a fresco dated 1751 and attributed to Carlo Antonio Morino, a painter from Oleggio. Inside there are some frescoes, including a "Saint Catherine of Alexandria" likely to be attributed to Giovanni De Rumo, a painter active in the mid-16th century.
Trivia
The oratory once possessed an altarpiece depicting St. Donatus the bishop; today it has been replaced by a photographic reproduction, while the original altarpiece is kept at the Museum of Religious Art "Fr. A. Mozzetti" in Oleggio.
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