Church of San Nicolao (Giornico)

Giornico is a village in the Leventina, the upper valley of the Ticino river, on the old road to the Gotthard Pass, and it has the finest group of Romanesque churches in Ticino. The village lies at about 380 metres, where the valley narrows, and it has grown up around a river crossing on a major north-south route that linked the plains of Lombardy with the lands beyond the Alps. Traders, pilgrims and armies passed this way for centuries, and the churches of Giornico reflect that traffic and the prosperity it brought. Giornico is also known for a battle in 1478, in which a small force of Swiss from the Alpine cantons defeated a much larger Milanese army on the frozen banks of the river, an event remembered in local tradition.

The church of San Nicolao stands near the old centre, on a slight rise, and it is considered one of the best-preserved Romanesque churches in the Swiss Alps. It was built in the twelfth century, with a plan of a single rectangular nave, a square choir and a semicircular apse, and it is constructed of local granite, laid in rough courses, giving it a severe, powerful look. The outer walls are plain, broken only by narrow windows and blind arcades, a decorative feature of Lombard Romanesque architecture, in which rows of small arches are carved along the upper walls. A square bell tower rises beside the church, with a pyramid-shaped roof. The building is a good example of Lombard craftsmen's influence in southern Switzerland, since masons from the region of Lake Como and Milan spread the style along the trade routes into the valleys.

The interior is bare but atmospheric. The nave is spanned by a wooden roof, and in the east end an apse with a semi-dome frames the altar. Beneath the choir lies a crypt, a small, low chamber with columns and simple capitals that survives from the original building, and which is among the most striking features. The crypt has a different feeling from the church above, with dim light and a sense of great age. A stone baptismal font of early date stands in the church, and traces of painted decoration on the walls show that the interior was once richly coloured, though much has faded. The simplicity of the architecture helps visitors to concentrate on proportion and light.

Giornico has other churches of interest. Santa Maria del Castello, on a hill above the village, is another Romanesque church with a beautiful setting and views over the valley, and the old Casa Stanga and other historic houses in the village show the medieval layout. A museum in the village tells the story of the Leventina and the battle. The railway line to the Gotthard runs through the valley, and Giornico has a station, so the village is easy to reach by train from Bellinzona or Lugano in less than an hour.

The church is a place of worship, so visit quietly. Opening hours vary and the church is not always open, so check locally, and ask about guided visits. It suits history readers, architecture lovers and walkers who like quiet corners. Allow thirty to sixty minutes for the church and the village, longer if you walk to Santa Maria del Castello.