San Terenziano Church

Address and contacts

Via della Repubblica, 5 - 42025 Cavriago
Phone 0039 0522 371754

How to get there

See the indication to reach Cavriago

Historical notes

In Pavia, November 17, 996, Countess Rolenda, daughter of Hugo of Provence, deceased King of Italy, signed an act with which she donated to Paulone a court, a castle, and a chapel dedicated to Saints Eusebio and Terenziano and to the Virgin Mary, in the locality of Cavriago.
This is the oldest mention of the house of worship.
No visible traces remain of the Ottonian chapel, though extensive remains of a subsequent Romanesque reconstruction are conserved, which is thought to refer to the chapel mentioned by Pope Innocence II in a document of 1411.
Excavations carried out in 1926 at less than two and a half metres brought to light the entire right-side nave complete with apse, with the connection to the central nave.
With these elements it is quite easy to determine the form and dimensions of the structure.
It had three east-facing naves with apses and measured twelve metres in length by seven metres thirty centimetres in width.
A part of the northern wall is still visible, comprising a structure in hewn stone and bricks in a herringbone pattern situated in alternating rows.
At around the middle of the 13th century, the chapel of San Terenziano did not have a baptismal font, cemetery, or even its own priest, as it was served by clergymen among whom a rector was elected.
In the following two centuries, it is difficult to find documents that mention the chapel.
In 1543, the main chapel of the church was bordering on collapse.
Fifty years later, the acts of the visit of Bishop Rangone list altars existing in addition to the main altar: those dedicated to the Blessed Virgin, to the Nativity, to the Madonna, and to Santa Lucia.
The construction of the present church dates to the early 17th century.
For this reason it is more correct to speak of a radical restructuring rather than the total refounding of the church.
Towards the middle of the 17th century, works began to create the decorations of the church interior.
Between 1666 and 1668, the men of Cavriago rebuilt the bell tower at their own expense.
The construction turned out to be massive and squared, still in the Renaissance style in terms of architectural conception.
On completion of the bell tower, the clock was installed in 1689 for service to the public.
The minor altars were added during the early years of the 18th century.
The primitive chancel had a quadrangular form but in 1750 the provost Antonio Boncompagni had it lengthened to a semi-circle, giving an apsidal form.
In 1818, the church and tower were seriously damaged by an earthquake. Following this event, consolidation works were undertaken, particularly on the tower, with the placement of steel cables, and since the work site was already in place, the façade was remodelled according to the neoclassical style.