Le campane dell'Oratorio dell'Immacolata a Pontevecchio, Magenta (MI)

The monks of the main monastery of Pavia received as a gift a large area of land, which stretched from the Old Bridge of Magenta to the banks of the Naviglio. The old village church was built in the first half of the 18th century to a design by Carlo Giuseppe Merlo, in compliance with a testamentary legacy from his cousin Bonifacio Merlo dating back to 1710. The church dedicated to the Virgin Mary was visited in 1760 by the Cardinal Archbishop of Milan and remained private property until 1848, when it was ceded to the central parish of Magenta. The church was a protagonist in 1859 during the famous Battle of Magenta, as one of the bloodiest battles of the 19th century took place in front of it. In the square in front of the sanctuary, a granite column was erected as a perennial memorial to all those who fell during the clashes of 1859. Invested with the title of memorial to those fallen in battle, it became insufficient to hold the large number of worshippers in the hamlet. The stimulus for the construction of a new church was provided by Archbishop Ferrari, who in 1903 had solicited the goodwill of the inhabitants of Pontevecchio. The small church corresponds to the canons of Enlightenment neoclassical architecture, with a circular central body, preceded by a quadrangular entrance. The façade anticipates a rather simple interior, characterised by wide plastered walls alternating with frescoes in the vaults. The oratory was completed in 1893 with the addition of the tall bell tower, designed to replace the peculiar wrought iron castle that held the bells. The two bells were relocated to the new bell tower together with the three new Barigozzi bells, added in the key of C major. c'' - d'' - e'' - f'' - g'' The last effort of the day took place during sunset on 24 December, when we played some Christmas songs and melodies on the mechanical keyboard to accompany the festivities of the people in Magenta. The wintry colours of the blazing sunset made the experience beautiful, after which we rested. #bells #church #catholic #bell #italy #view #landscape #catholicchurch #sunset #christmas #cinematic #vlog