Inviolata church, Baroque church in Riva del Garda, Italy

Inviolata church is a baroque building in Riva del Garda with a square exterior and octagonal interior space. Inside you find five altars, three entrance doors, and decorative stuccowork in white, black, and gold throughout.

Construction began in 1603 using stone from the Placche di Baone quarry near Arco, and the shell was finished with the presbytery in 1609. The church, first named Santa Maria allo Spiazzo, was renamed Inviolata by 1619, a reference to the Counter-Reformation. After governor Giannangelo Gaudenzio Madruzzo died in 1618, his wife Alfonsina Gonzaga continued the work; the altar was consecrated in 1636.

The church was first called Santa Maria allo Spiazzo, after the open ground outside the walls where the shrine stood; the name Inviolata is documented from 1619 and refers to the Virgin and to the decrees of the Council of Trent. The wooden choir stalls, with Old Testament scenes carved in each seat, were given by Francesco Alberti di Poja shortly before he became prince-bishop in 1677.

The church sits at Largo Marconi and is easy to reach on foot from the town center. Visiting hours are regular, so you should check in advance if you plan your visit around specific times of day.

The venerated image is a fresco by Bartolomeo Mangiavino of Salò, showing the Madonna and Child with Saints Sebastian and Roch below. It was moved from its roadside shrine into the high altar in 1611. The church's name, first documented in 1619, replaced Santa Maria allo Spiazzo.