The Church of the historic parish of Santa Maria di Almè, then named San Giovanni Battista, is a precious structure of medieval origins, enlarged and renovated several times over the centuries, which has mainly preserved the eighteenth-century imprinting that architect Candido Micheli, Giovan Battista Caniana’s collaborator, desired. After the war its function was replaced by a new church, but the artistic value of this fascinating structure has inspired a restoration project and a new cultural destination.
The first significant intervention was executed on the façade to avoid the definite loss of original stucco decorations and sandstone capitals. It eliminated rising damp and realised a very accurate restoration. In agreement with the Superintendency for Architectural Heritage the project also included the removal of all twentieth-century additions, by eliminating the conglomerate cement base, restoring the lesenes back to the sandstone skirting board and reintroducing the two stucco medallions.
Resuming the original shades that bring back the light tones of the eighteenth-century structure turned out to be fascinating: antique pink for plaster, yellow ochre for capitals and frames, earth green for cartouches and shelves, stucco white for other relief elements.