Chiesa parrocchiale della Madonna della Neve, Parish church in Monforte d'Alba, Italy

Chiesa parrocchiale della Madonna della Neve is a neo-gothic parish church from the early 1900s in Monforte d'Alba, Italy, with a Latin cross plan and a wide staircase leading to the entrance. Its facade has three vertical sections and carved bronze doors by Oreste Torello, while a tall bell tower rises about fifty-four meters with bifore openings and statues of the four evangelists at the corners.

The current building was constructed in the early 1900s to replace an older church, and its main altar dates from the 1700s before being moved here in 1912. Parts of the site have been used for worship since the 13th century, linking the modern structure to a much longer local religious history.

The dedication to Our Lady of the Snow is tied to a local legend about a summer snowfall that marked where the church should stand, a story still felt in the name. Inside, the baptistery near the left aisle and the stained glass windows in the choir show the work of craftsmen from Biella and Linnich, bringing together different European traditions in one room.

Visitors can enter through the wide staircase at the front and move along the central nave, where four thick columns mark a clear path to the altar. The side aisles and small chapels are easy to walk through, and the bell tower is not open for climbing, so exploring the interior is best done at a slow pace.

The stained glass windows in the apse came all the way from Linnich in Germany, an unusual choice for a small Piedmontese town in the early 20th century. At the bottom of these windows, the emblems of the Del Carretto and Scarampi families are still visible, quietly recording the patrons who helped outfit the church.

• Location: Monforte d'Alba
• Address: Via D.Vallada, 7, 12065 Monforte d'Alba CN, Italy
• Phone: [phone]
• GPS coordinates: 44.58220,7.96753
• Latest update: September 16, 2026 09:20