B. Church of Sant’Alessandro

Audio narration by eArsB. Church of Sant’Alessandro  (Don Valentino Venezia DV)Narrator: In this journey through hidden places and memories, we’ve chosen not to take you to Angera’s main church. It’s just around the corner in the main square.Instead, we’ve brought you to the Church of Saints Alessandro, Sisinnio and Martirio—or simply Sant’ Alessandro. A little gem tucked away in a quiet street of the village.Here to reveal its secrets is Don Valentino Venezia.DV: Sant’Alessandro was the most important church in the area for centuries. It became a parish church—known as a pieve—starting in the Middle Ages and remained so until the 1500s.During that century, Cardinal Saint Charles Borromeo visited Angera and found the church too modest and poorly maintained. He even ordered it to be demolished to make way for a new parish church. But the people of Angera were deeply attached to this sacred place. Rather than see it destroyed, they offered to restore it themselves. And so, Sant’Alessandro was saved—and rightly so.N: This church is a little treasure chest of sacred art. Above the main door, a low-relief carving can be seen with a distinctive emblem.DV: "It shows a monstrance—the vessel used to display the consecrated host, which the faithful believe to be the body of Christ.This was the symbol chosen by the lay confraternity of the Blessed Sacrament, which used this church and celebrated the Eucharist here.That’s why, inside, the vault above the altar is entirely covered with frescoes of various scenes concerning the Eucharist."N: The frescoes date back to the 17th century, with one important exception, which is even older.DV: "You’ll find it on the left-hand wall. It’s a Madonna Regina, Our Lady the Queen of Heaven, painted in the 15th century. It’s a historic icon for Angera, and it has been greatly venerated by the townspeople ever since the time of Charles Borromeo."