The parish Church of “Santa Maria del Popolo” with its tower bell dominates the hill on which Altino is set and witnesses the medieval plan of the village which was built since 1300 all around the stronghold. Only a few elements of the church are original today. A steep stone staircase leads to the church, which has a neoclassical facade with triangular tympanum on its a door. The bell tower, without plasters, is made of stones and exposed bricks; on the door architrave there is a plaque which tells the multi-hundred years story of the devotion of the people of Altino for the saint protectors Cosma and Damiano since 1600. The two saint patrons are celebrated on 26 and 27 September every year.

In 1700 the church was restored. It has three baroque style naves separated by marble-like pillars with ionic capitals. Decorations are made of white and gold plasters in the shape of wreaths and cupidos on pastel-coloured backgrounds. The central nave, covered with barrel vaults and lunettes, ends up in the apse with the main altar between two Corinth columns. A niche on the altar shields the nineteenth-century sculpture of Madonna del Popolo with her sky-blue mantle to protect her worshippers, represented by two pleading figures.

The 1838 wood pulpit and baptismal by Tommaso Pellicciotti, with the emblem of the noble family Sirolli, that ordered the works, have quite an artistic value. Also the eighteenth century painting of Madonna del Rosario con i Santi Domenico, Caterina e Rosa da Lima and 15 medals representing the mysteries of the rosary are noteworthy.

A place dedicated to the devotion of the people of Altino for the Mother of God is also the small Church of Madonna delle Grazie outside Altino, where is a precious sixteenth-century painting on wood.

[Credits | Text: Ottavio Di Renzo De Laurentis | Translation: Mirella Rapa | Voice and music: Studio Qreate | Photo: Laura Di Biase]