Santa Maria Annunciata, Roman Catholic church in Brunello, Italy.
Santa Maria Annunciata is the parish church of Brunello, near the borders with Azzate and Sumirago. Its facade has a gabled roofline and an arched portal topped by a square opening that replaced the original rose window after Carlo Borromeo's 1567 visit. Inside, a single nave is decorated with frescoes from the 15th to 17th centuries.
The church was founded between the late 13th and early 14th centuries alongside an adjoining monastery. It was controlled by the Humiliati religious order and stood on lands belonging to the local Bossi family.
The name Santa Maria Annunciata refers to the Annunciation, depicted in the presbytery frescoes. The church preserves a wooden altarpiece of the Crucifixion made by the hermits of Sacro Monte di Varese, and a 1610 document attributes the polyptych of the Madonna del Latte to Francesco de Tatti. A stained-glass window of Saint Pascal Baylon by Floriano Bodini was donated by Pasquale Macchi.
The church sits near the village center and is easily reached on foot. Viewing the frescoes is best during daytime hours when natural light illuminates the painted surfaces.
During renovations in the 1930s, frescoes were uncovered that had been hidden beneath layers of lime for centuries. This discovery revealed works by different artists, including one known only as the Master of Brunello.
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