Santa Maria Assunta church, Religious sanctuary in Riva del Garda, Italy.
Santa Maria Assunta is the parish church of Riva del Garda, rebuilt between 1728 and 1742 to a design by Cipriano Tacchi. Its facade on via Santa Maria has two orders divided by a string course, four Corinthian pilasters and a curved pediment; the base is clad in marble that rises in height from north to south to follow the slope of the square. Inside is a single nave with nine Baroque altars and polychrome stucco decoration.
The church's earliest written record dates to 1106, marking its long presence in the town. Its current appearance resulted from a comprehensive Baroque renovation that started in 1728.
The high altarpiece, an Assumption of the Virgin attributed to the Riva-born painter Giuseppe Craffonara, dates from the first half of the 19th century. The interior holds nine Baroque altars and is covered with polychrome stucco work. The small square on the south side, Piazzetta Craffonara, is named after the same painter.
The church faces via Santa Maria, with a secondary entrance on its north side and a south side opening onto the small Piazzetta Craffonara, which leads to via Mazzini and via Lipella. The bell tower stands apart, across Piazza Cavour: it is the former San Michele gate-tower. The marble base of the facade rises from north to south to follow the slope of the square.
The bell tower is not attached to the church: it stands across Piazza Cavour and is the former gate tower of San Michele, converted after the church was built. Its four bells were cast by the Cavadini foundry of Verona in 1920.
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