Sommolago Presents Comprehensive Volume on Alto Garda Churches

How much the hefty and powerful volume that Sommolago dedicates to the churches of Alto Garda has captured the interest of the people is testified by the crowd that, the other evening, on July 25th under a sky full of stars, filled the event hall in every seat to hear, with director Romano Turrini, the presentation of «Ecclesiae».

544 pages, with a foreword by Archbishop Bressan, the occasion of the Jubilee served to showcase a heritage of history, traditions, and culture that finds substance and values in Catholicism.

Content and purpose of the volume

It was supposed, Turrini recalled, to be a slim guide, two pages for each church. Instead, it became a comprehensive tool, featuring datasheets of the 94 identified churches, from Pregasina to Pietramurata, some still active and others long closed, presented using all available materials from historical archives (including parish archives).

There are patronages for works of art (500 photographs largely attest to the preciousness of a heritage often unknown or undervalued), but also the old request from over a century ago, by a Trento diocese to a parish priest asking for dispensation so that parishioners, on Sundays and feast days, could work for free on enlarging the church, which was granted on the condition that it did not cause scandal.

The volume, which complements the monographs of Sommolago, has been made possible thanks to the support of the Cassa Rurale di Arco and the Credito Cooperative, which will give copies to their respective members.