Sezione TERRITORIO Antica via di Arte e di Fede     Parish church of S. Giovanni Battista (St.John the Baptist) Stella S.Giovanni Tel. 019 703615 Timetable: 8,00-12,00 16,00-19,00 The Church of St.John the Baptist was established at the end of the nineteenth century as the church of the sixteenth century was sold to the confraternity of St.Sebastian in order to become an oratoriy, is today half-destroyed and inaccessible. The new church is set up with nave and two aisles and a large dome is dominating the apse. Wide stained galss windows which are representing some saints illuminate the innermost part of the church where there are two wooden boxes made by an artist named Brilla and precisely the Group of the baptism of Jesus Christ and St.Rochus. The grey façade is relieved with some mullioned windows with two lights and adorned with two lateral turrets, while the parvis which is composed by mosaic work made of white and grey river stones, becomes further enriched thanks to a central fountain made of white marble which is of great worth. Parish churh of S.Bernardo (St.Bernhard) Stella San Bernardo-Corona Tel. 019 703969 Ferial timetable: 17,30-19,00 Sunday timetable: 8,30-12,30 15,00-19,00 Churh preceding the year 1530, was remade and amplified in the year 1871. The internal part is composed by nave and two aisles which are subdivided by strong square columns with high pilasters. In the left nave, at the end of the church, one can see a wooden statue of the Virgin of the Rosary together with the 15 Mysteries of exquisite workmanship, which are framed in gilded ovals of the eighteenth century. The nave is covered with a barrel vault and gore dome which are enriched with fresco-paintings. The apse is surmounted by a basin decorated with illusionistic light and shade effects. The presbytery conserves a canvas painting of the seventeenth century representing Moses who lets the water gush from the rock, while along the left wall existed a canvas painting representing the slaughter of the innocents, today purloined. In the sacristy one can find a precious wooden crucifix of the seventeenth century. Church of "Madonna del Salto" Main road of Sassello Timetable: only at Christmastime Constructed in neoclassic style in the middle of the XIXth century, in circular design with pronaos and reduced roof covering. It was was built where there was already raising a chapel to remember a miracle which took place in the year 1750. During Christmas time it is possible to visit the church since there is prepared an artistic crib of E.Cavalli. Parish Church of Santa Giustina (St.Justine) Stella Santa Giustina Tel. 019 703969 Timetable: opening on Sundays at 9,00 a.m. for the holy celebrations Not characterized by a particular architectural value, the Parish Church contains however an interesting canvas painting of the sixteenth century made by Cambiaso. Parish Church of San Martino (St.Martin) Address: Piazza Ing. Capitano Stefano Serventi, Stella San Martino Tel.019 706109 Timetable: 8,00-12,00 During the Vth century was already existing a small chapel which has been amplified in the course of the centuries and declared as a Parish Church around the year 1550. There is also conserved a memorial tablet dated 1555. The shape of the building is made in form of a latin cross characterized through arched ceilings. The dome is completely fresco-painted, originarly with tempera colours by Buscaglia at the end of the nineteenth century. The nave and two aisles structure is interspersed by three cross shaped pillars (or square columns) covered by marble, surmounted by corinthian capitals. The nineteenth century pulpit made of lime and stone and a beautiful baptisterium made of marble dated back to the year 1728 are particularly emphasized. In the church deserve our attention not only the fresco-paintings by Brusco, in particular way the one which is representing St.Martin of the year 1810, but also precious canvas painting by De Maestri and statues of Maragliano together with a statue of St.Martin by Brilla, and a wooden chorus of the end of the eighteenth century representing the coronation of the Virgin. The five sundials Stella San Martino In Stella San Martino one can see also the 5 sundials composed by different shapes and materials among which we remember the pair of sundials with cloth, one of which contains the fresco painting representing the Mater Misericordiae placed on the façade of Palazzo Regnasco. Oratorium of San Sebastiano and San Rocco (St.Sebastian and St.Rochus) Stella Gameragna Tel. 347 232 48 45 Ask Mr.Interbartolo for tourisic guides Timetable: opening during the festivity days of St.Sebastian (the 20th of january) and St Rochus (the 16th of august) Touristic guides during the course of the year available on request In the oratorium of the XVIIth century there is treasured a measure made of marble dated 1583, of the public bushel of the Republic of Genua, together with other remarkable structures in baroque style like the canvas painting over the high altar of the end of the eighteenth century which are representing the saints Sebastian and Rochus, the images of the eighteenth and seventeenth century with the effigy of the Mater Misericordiae both placed above the entrance of the church and in the sacristy. In the same style are made the wooden structures: a processional box of the end of the eighteenth century dedicated to the martyrium of St. Sebastian by Maragliano, an altar crucifix datable 1500-1600, a wooden statue of the seventeenth century representing St.Caterina who offers her hand placed in the sacristy, four reliquary busts representing some bishops of the eighteenth century, coeval to the candelabrum with the pashal candle palced in the sacristy. Churh of St. Caterina Stella Gameragna (Ask Mr.Interbartolo for touristic guides) Timetable: Sundays 9,00-12,00 The construction of the church dates back to the year 1567 and contains some remarkable structures ind baroque style like 3 apse paintings of the end of the eighteenth century which represent respectively St.Carles Borrhomeus, the Archangel Gabriel and St.Agnes by Ratti and the canvas painting of the seventeenth century placed above the lateral entrance with the effigy of a roman emperor (perhaps Constantin?) and of a bishop in the presence of St. Francis. Concerning the wooden structures, we can find a processional box of the end of the eighteenth century, dedicated to the " Madonna del Carmelo " (Virgin of the Carmelo) probably by Maragliano, a presbyteral chair and a ancona representing St. Caterina of Alessandria, both of the eighteenth century. Remarkable also a St.Caterina by Brilla. Castle of S. Giovanni (St.John) Stella San Giovanni It was erected by the alerami marquises Del Bosco in a dominating position of control of the low valleys of Sansobbia and Riabasco which conduct to Albisola. Similarly to the castle of Albisola, it was involved in 1227 in a battle, between Genua and Savona. The tradition is telling about a fact that in the year 1244 the pope Innocent IV, soujourned there fof a few days during his trip from Varazze to Acqui directed to Lyon. Since Genua was dominating again, Stella had mainly a defensive function, at least untill the year 1478. Of this castle there are treasured consistent ruins of the poligonal castle walls and on the southern front a tower with a squared basis while the superior part has got a circular form, perhaps by the end of the XIVth century. Legend about the Virgin of the "Salto" The toponym of "Salto" derieves from the fact that the old mule track of Giovo was running along without protection on the margin of a scarp slope, where there was existing a post supporting a holy image. The travellers who were passing along that road invoked the protection of the Virgin. Around the year 1750 a knight rider directed from Albisola to Sassello fell down in a crag, invoked the Virgin of the post and was saved. As he returned to the place where the miracle had taken place, he constructed a first small church with the help of the inhabitants of Stella in which together with the Virgin of the Salto there was joined St.Rochus as the protector of the plague victims.