Remnants of 11th-Century Romanesque Church of Saint Martin in Lazise
The Torrazzo at the center of the main cemetery, the base of a notable bell tower, is the only remaining part of what was probably a Romanesque church, built likely towards the end of the 11th century and dedicated to Saint Martin, bishop of Tours.
Documents mentioning the parish church date back to 1077, but there are no records indicating when it was actually built. It was nonetheless abandoned by the inhabitants of Lazise between 1525 and 1530, when “the temple had ceased to be used due to damage from wars”.
Relics and interventions on the bell tower
The surviving part of the bell tower is considered the most interesting monument preserved in the lake town, and it is currently undergoing a careful conservation intervention, including roof repairs, crack closures, and a general cleaning, with a cost of 100 million lire.
The Romanesque structure, with a square base approximately seven and a half meters per side and a height of 9.70 meters, is surrounded by a row of eighteen arches, topped by a crowning cornice. On three sides, the construction is covered with white limestone, probably quarried from Incaffi.
“On the north side, where the church was located at a short distance,” as specified in a 1909 writing by Vittorio Cavazzocca Mazzanti, “there is a partially buried door, which leads to a vaulted room that now houses the mortuary chapel. Above it, a small door with eight steps led to the room where the bells were rung”.
Demolitions and current remains
Only the base of that ancient tower remains now, as the upper part was demolished in 1777 to make room for the bell tower of the small church of San Nicolo al Porto.
Unfortunately, this was not the last alteration: in the first half of the 19th century (around 1822?), the eastern side was dismantled, again to build another bell tower, that of the current parish church within the walls.
In the same period, excavation work was carried out to organize some tombs around the Torrazzo, as recalled by don Agostini in his book “Lazise nella storia e nell’arte” from 1925. At a certain depth, the plan of the ancient temple was discovered. Foundations of a house with eleven rooms were also uncovered at the beginning of this century, during work to build new tombs and colombariums on the eastern side of the cemetery.
Archaeological signals and historical testimonies
Under the foundations, Cavazzocca highlights that “materials of Roman origin were found scattered”, emphasizing that the “certain proof, in his view, is that the hill where the Saint Martin temple once stood was inhabited by some Roman family beforehand”.
