Information about Trino in the Province of Vercelli
This is an important town situated along the left bank of the river Po. The area of Trino, towards the north, rises up around the rise called “Costa”, whilst towards the south it stops at the left bank of the river Po, after which the first hills of Monferrato rise, and where the rock on which stands the Camino castle rises. Towards the north west, the local government jurisdiction goes as far as including the area to the “grange” of Lucedio. Until the beginning of the 1800 this was still an independent municipality, as far as Leri and Castelmerlino.
The human presence in the area dates back to the Lower Palaeolithic (150,000 years ago) and to the Middle Palaeolithic (35,000 years ago), epoch of the lithic objects found in the “Rilievo isolato”, light hill which, from the church of the Virgin of the Vineyards (on the left of the road which goes to the abbey of S. Maria di Lucedio), continues towards the east. Some of these archaeological finds, and many others from the following epochs, can be seen at the “G.A. Irico” civic Museum in Piazza Garibaldi.
A group of pottery dating back to the proto-historic epoch was traced years ago in the Ricodino region, whilst the archaeological excavations conducted by the Turin University at S. Michael brought back to light materials from the Roman period.
Apart from the façade, the church of S. Michael has Romanic features. At the side of the presbytery, there are some frescoed lacertus dating back to the last quarter of the XII century: they show, amongst other things, the Last Supper and Byzantine models modified according to the common interpretation of the Lombard area. The present parish of Saint Bartholomew dates back to a sixteenth century reconstruction, modified several times later on.
In the choir there is a canvas by Pier Francesco Guala showing Saint Bartholomew baptizing the royal family of Armenia (1734). In the northern transept there is a triptych of Gerolamo Giovenone, dated between 1510 and 1513, with the Virgin of the milk amongst the saints Dominic and Lawrence.
Paleologo palace, built between the beginning of the XIV century and the end of the next one, was a palace for the court of Paleologi, marquis of Monferrato from 1305 to 1532. Some frescos detached from the attic, with profile busts amongst medallions and elegantly decorated panels, have been taken to the front room used for the Town Hall Council public library “Favorino Brunod”. This has been placed in a wing of the old convent of the Dominican monks. This last majestic complex is part of the church of Saint Catherine of Alexandria: the façade was modified and some lateral chapels were added. The interior has three naves of late gothic features; the Serassi organ (1836) is at the side of the presbytery.
Under the impressive hall which runs at the side of the parish, you can find the entrance to the church of Saint Peter Martyr, which has a Virgin crowned by the Eternal and the saints Peter Martyr and Michael of Boniforte Oldoni (1578).
The church commonly known as church of Saint Francis because of the community of monks that used to live here, is situated in the medieval area of Santa Maria in castro, documented since the XII century. The existing building dates back to the middle of the ‘700; in its interior there are paintings from Orsola Caccia (daughter of Moncalvo) and a wonderful eighteenth hundred wooden vestry.
The Church of Saint John the Baptist has a painting of Pier Francesco Guala. Saint Lawrence, built in the first half of 1700, is also in the baroque style. In its presbytery there is the statue of the Virgin with Saints Luigi Gonzaga and Saint Anthony of Padua, also made by Guala.
The church of All Saints or of the Misericordia interior has maintained its baroque characteristics. In Corso Italia there is S. Maria della Neve, built at the same level of the town walls. Also the church of the Virgin of the Divine Providence was built on the walls, exactly on the north west corner of their perimeter. At the limit of the town, on the road which leads to the river Po, there is instead the Church of the Virgin of the Sound Advice, dating back to the half of the 1700 and richly decorated in the interior.
The Civic Museum “Gian Andrea Irico” situated in Piazza Garibaldi covers the whole history of the town and of the surrounding territory. Very interesting are the exhibits, such as those relating to the activities of local editors and printing houses. Among these Bernardino Gioito, who starter its activity in Venice in 1470, is particularly important.
PRINCIPALITY OF LUCEDIO
Beyond the majestic arc at the entrance, it is possible to see on the right the well known church of the people (1741), built outside the cloister area on request of the monks, in order to serve the secular believers of the area. Beyond the big courtyard, the big main house attracts the eye. This was previously used by the monks. This long stone building finishes, at the southern end, in the Abbey church which still shows the perfection of the project of Valente de Giovanni, architect and Cistercian monk. The building has stopped being a worship place about twenty years ago.
The bell tower, connected with the southern side of the existing church, has a Romanic square base, dating back between 1150 and 1175. In old times it must have had a tall cusp, probably destroyed during the renovations of the eighteenth century. On the other side of the courtyard there is an arch which leads to the ancient second cloister of the monastery. The arcades, now used as warehouse, is precious for its ribbed vaults. Through a narrow door, on the right, it is possible to access the rooms of the ground floor of the house. This is probably the ancient part of the convent, made of wide halls with ribbed vaults. After the arcades, along the building which, until a few years ago was still in use, it is possible to reach the old main cloister of the monastery, connected to the abbey church. The space of the capitular room, built in the middle of the XIII century, is imposing and majestic.
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