What to see · Collegno

More places of interest

• San Massimo

  The church of San Massimo is in Collegno, which began in Roman times as a staging post five miles from Turin, on the road to the Mont Cenis pass. Its origins are early Christian: during work in the mid-twentieth century, parts of a large three-nave basilica of the fifth century came to light, built for the burial of a bishop of Turin. Which of the two bishops named Maximus it was, the famous Maximus I or his successor Maximus II, has been debated for centuries.

  What to see

  Between the late eighth and early ninth centuries the church was altered for the first time: the north side room was demolished and a small apse was carved out of a thick wall. Further rebuilding followed in the eleventh and twelfth centuries, about which little is known. In the early seventeenth century, being far from the town centre, it was declared a country chapel, and the building fell into ruin: in 1688 the Carthusians offered to restore and enlarge it, but no agreement with the town council was ever reached. In 1725 it was redone in Baroque style, reduced in size and given a new façade, with a single nave and a semicircular apse.

  Its present appearance comes from the work of 1949-1950, which practically rebuilt the church: three naves on square piers, a trussed roof and a brick façade with small arches and pilasters. In the south apse is a wooden statue of Saint Maximus from the first half of the fifteenth century. The many finds made during restoration were first displayed in the crypt, where two Discalced Augustinian friars who looked after the church in the first half of the twentieth century are buried.

  Visiting

  The underground areas are closed to the public for safety reasons. The interior now also houses music rehearsal rooms; opening hours should be checked on site.

  Our editors' tip

  To see the finds from San Massimo you need to go to the Museum of Antiquities in Turin, where the heritage authority had them moved and where a collection of Roman objects found around Collegno is also kept.

Some links may earn BigItalia a commission, at no extra cost to you.