The Church of St.Peter and Paul is one of the best preserved churches in Italy. It was built in the 12th century by Julius of Novara, who was allied with the Romanic army. They decided that they wanted to replace an already existing church with a much bigger one, on the same location. The St. Peter and St. Paul Church was built under the Roman influence and is characterized by a strong Romanesque style. The church features various artworks, including paintings and frescos dedicated to Queen Mary, St.Peter and St.Paul, the patrons of the town.
The Church is located on or near the site of an earlier Roman Temple, dedicated to Minerva, built to celebrate a victory against the Celts, who occupied the cities of Milano and Como.
St.Paul and Peter Church is associated with the myth of St.Jiulius, the founder of the church. The myth tells that Jiulius came with his brother from Greece to evangelize the area close to Orta Lake, and decided to destroy the Temple of Minerva and build the Brebbia Church. The Church has undergone various renovations, including the change of the central nave in the 17th century, which now includes more complex trusses, and the restyling of the artworks.
St. Peter and Paul Church has a typical Romanesque architecture: it is elementary and characterized by three naves and one apse, located at the end of the main nave and orientated to the east. There is a transept that comes out from the secondary naves.
The main nave was originally characterized by a truss, substitued in the 17th century by a vault. This renovation work destabilized the building and because of that it required further structural modifications, which include the addition of tie-rods and metal slabs. These additions still remain visible on the church exterior.
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