Restoration of San Nicolò Church Reveals 14th-Century Frescoes and New Artifacts
Restoration and Interior Frescoes
The church of San Nicolò all’Assenza in Brenzone has been restored with funding from the Regione Veneto and the Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio. Structural reinforcement work and restoration of the interior frescoes have been carried out within the building.
The frescoes on the interior walls of the church date from later periods. The most valuable depict an Last Supper and are dated to the second half of the 1300s.
On the north wall, there is a long succession of saints, including Saint Stephen, Saint Zeno, Saint Bartholomew, Saint Anna, Saint Bellino, Saint Nicholas bishop, patron of the chapel, Saint Martin and the Poor, and others. All these works are believed to have been executed in 1322, a date precisely confirmed because it is reproduced on one of the walls.
Paintings from later periods and new discoveries
Other paintings from the 1400s, depicting the Madonna between Saint Catherine and Saint Lawrence, are also present. The frescoes were already visible beforehand, and in this case, the technicians limited themselves to cleaning and restoring the artistic works.
Instead, a new triptych has been uncovered, placed beside the bell tower door, depicting the Archangels Michael and Gabriel alongside Saint Lucia and Saint Bartholomew.
History and origins of the church
The history of the church of San Nicolò all’Assenza is quite complex. The first document mentioning a chapel built in the village of Assenza or Menarolo dates back to 1159.
The building was erected to seek the protection of sailors, a common practice also in other parts of Garda. The discovery of some funerary slabs in the areas surrounding the chapel leads scholars to believe that this, along with the neighboring village, dates to an even earlier period.
Over the centuries, the church was gradually expanded. The bell tower was built, which was raised together with the building around the 15th century.
In accordance with the architectural style of the time, some Gothic elements were added, and the complex reached its current size.
Historical recognitions and administrative changes
Throughout the centuries, the church not only underwent numerous renovations but also changed hands several times. In 1460, San Nicolò was under the parish of Malcesine, but through the Rettorato di San Giovanni di Brenzone.
The 1500s marked the decline of the chapel, which fell into abandonment due to lacking its own revenues, as reported by pastoral visit accounts made by the Bishop of Verona.
To address this issue, the chapel was entrusted to the noble Spolverini, who owned villas and lands in the Assenza area.
From 1532, with its establishment as the parish of San Giovanni Battista in Brenzone, the church separated from Malcesine and became part of the new parish.
In 1797, another change occurred: the church of Santa Maria Assunta at Castello di Brenzone was built, and San Nicolò became subordinate to this parish, which it still remains today.