The Church of Nostra Donna is located on the eastern bank of the Magra River, near the Jubilee Bridge and the tower of Castelnuovo, where one of the city’s gates once stood, recognizable by the Gothic arch that connects the church to the tower. The original building dates back to the 16th century, when the oratory was built as the headquarters of the “Compagnia di Nostra Donna del Castel di Pontremoli,” later the “Società dei Disciplinati della Beata Maria della Neve,” and then the “Confraternita della Concezione di Nostra Donna.”

After the devastating flood of 1732, the church had to be rebuilt, and the task was entrusted to Giovan Battista Natali, who characterized it with his Baroque style in the decoration of the large dome, the apse, the chapels, the doors, and the organ balconies and gallery. The oratory, with its main hexagonal base surmounted by an elliptical-shaped dome, is one of the few central-plan sacred buildings in the region. The monumental and scenic character of the Nostra Donna structure represents the peak of expression in Natali’s Baroque art.

The interior of the church, of notable architectural quality, is rich in decorations and furnishings. In addition to the altar and a beautiful sculpture of the Virgin of the Bridge, there are frescoes by Sebastiano Galeotti and Giovan Battista Natali himself on the dome, the vaults of the chapels, and in the sacristy, as well as paintings by Alessandro Gherardini and Giuseppe Galeotti. The pipe organ, located on the choir to the left of the altar, dates back to the 13th century.

fotografie: arch. Elia Santini