SHARRYLAND
Parish Church of St. Mary
A small village on the edge of Erbusco holds a beautiful medieval parish church
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What it is and where it is
The parish church of Santa Maria stands in a small hamlet on the edge of Erbusco, high above the town, protected by what remains of a castle. Built between the 12th and 13th centuries on top of an older building, it is still Romanesque in form but inside shows off Gothic influences, for example in its pointed arches. Only a few traces remain of the castle of Erbusco today: the ravelin of the enclosure, right next to the apse of the church, and a few buildings.
Why it is special: a parish church between Romanesque and Gothic
Thefacade of the Pieve di Erbusco is almost half encompassed by the imposing 15th-century bell tower. Inside, the true breadth of the parish is found: a single nave with a gabled roof and four bays divided by pointed arches. On the walls of the nave and apse are some fine frescoes, dating from the 14th and 15th centuries. Those on the walls depict saints, probably votive offerings; those in the bowl and in the round arch that bounds it are stories of the Virgin, attributed to a Master of 1442, influenced by Gentile da Fabriano (who was in Brescia from 1414 to 1419) and Bembo.
Not to be missed: the apse
The apse is very beautiful: made of white marble from Zandobbio, it is punctuated by slender half-columns, on pilasters, with four high and narrow splayed openings, and crowned by double hanging arches alternating the corbels and capitals of the half-columns; above an indentation.
A bit of history: the castle of Erbusco.
Surrounding the church is a long, low building that was part of the castle, and two tower houses. The castle was possibly built by the Martinengo family, changed hands several times between the Venetian Republic and the Duchy of Milan until it became the site of private residences in the 19th century.
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