Saint Joseph’s Church is located in the hamlet (frazione) of Diano and is the largest and most impressive of Scigliano’s many churches. It is widely known as the “Church of Saint Joseph”, in honor of the patron saint of Scigliano, although its original name is that of “The Assumption of the Virgin Mary”. 

    The idea of building a new church in Diano became tangible in 1575, given that the previous parish church was falling apart. It was Monsignor Mariano Perbenedetti who convinced the faithful that it was time to replace the old, run down church with a new, more suitable one. Upon receiving the people’s approval, Perbenedetti called in two architects from Rome who decided to emulate the Roman basilicas’ style. Monsignor Perbenedetti himself laid the foundation stone.

    The residents of Scigliano and the two architects agreed that the new church should be an enlargement of the existing one. Both the Tuscan as well as the Doric techniques were adopted in working the tuff.

    The project was financed by the community of Diano who imposed  upon itself a tax on meat and other goods.

    The church was completed in 1607 and was consecrated on September 17 of the same year.

By the year 1791, the church was in need of substantial repair and after the restoration it acquired an even greater radiance.

    St. Joseph’s Church houses many valuable works of art, such as the gothic main altar (about 10 m. high and completely replenished), a 1600 tabernacle and a wooden organ (see picture). Some of these precious works of art come from the Monastery of Corazzo.

    In one of the aisles of the church, there is a chapel dedicated to Saint Joseph, as stated, the patron saint of the town. A wooden bust of the saint is carried by the faithful along the roads of the town during the March 19 procession.

    We must also mention that in the past, the church’s bell tower used to contain a pawn shop (Monte di Pietà), a charitable institution granting interest-free loans to the needy

Webmaster Raffaele Pane

All rights reserved to the author.

If you would like to reproduce any part of this website, please send an E-mail to: paneraff@sciglianocomune.it  for permission.