Viggiù
Exploring Viggiù: Its History and Monuments
Hello everyone! Today I will talk about Viggiù, a town in the province of Varese in Lombardy. The town has about 5,066 inhabitants and it is believed that its origins date back to the Protohistoric age or that it was founded by Gaius Julius Caesar with the Roman name of "Vicus Juli". Since then, the name has changed several times to its current form, Viggiù.
The History of Viggiù and Its Artistic Heritage
The history of Viggiù was strongly influenced by the presence of easily workable stone and marble deposits. The Viggiù Stone in particular was often used for construction and decoration, making the territory a place of great artistic importance. In fact, Viggiù artists are well known in the national artistic context and were part of the confraternity of Comacini Masters.
From the 1500s to the mid-1600s, many of these artists were in Rome where they were engaged in the artistic and architectural works of the city. Among the main Viggiù artists were the Butti, the Giudici (de Judicibus), the Longhi (including the famous architect Martino Longhi the Elder), the Piatti, the Argenti, and the Galli.
The territory was structured in terraces, allowing not only extraction activities, but also agriculture. A curiosity: from 1809 to 1815 and from 1928 to 1953, the municipalities of Clivio and Saltrio were fractions of Viggiù.
The Religious Architecture of Viggiù
Over the centuries, Viggiù has been characterized by the presence of numerous churches. Here are some:
The Church of Saint Stephen the Protomartyr
The Church of Saint Stephen the Protomartyr is a Romanesque building, expanded in its definitive forms in the 15th century. It is located at the end of the village and consists of three naves, divided into four bays, delimited at the ends by six monolithic columns in Saltrio stone and surmounted by capitals.
The Church of Saint Martin
The Church of Saint Martin is located on a small hill south of the town center. Its origins date back to the medieval period, but over the centuries, it has been expanded and modified several times. Access to the church is delimited by an eighteenth-century arch.
The Church of the Madonna of the Cross
The Church of the Madonna of the Cross, also known as the Church of the Blessed Virgin of the Assumption, is located near a crossroads of several roads. The first information about the church dates back to the 15th century, but it was in the mid-1700s that the first restoration and expansion works were carried out.
Conclusions
Here is a brief summary of the history of Viggiù and its main monuments. Despite the presence of stone quarries that have certainly influenced the local economy, the town has been able to develop over the centuries a rich artistic and architectural production. I hope you enjoyed this brief journey into the history of Viggiù and that it has aroused your curiosity, perhaps enough to decide to visit this fascinating Lombard town.
