In the historic centre of Domodossola, la Collegiata dei Santi Gervaso e Protaso (the Collegiate Church of Saints Gervase and Protase) has represented for centuries a spiritual and cultural landmark for the city. Built between 1792 and 1798 following a project by the architect Matteo Zucchi, the church was erected on the ruins of the previous 15th century building and today is a national monument.
The interior, arranged in three naves with six side chapels, stands out for its decorative richness; gilded stuccoes and frescoes create an intimate and collected atmosphere. The works of Lorenzo Peretti, an artist from Vigezzo active in the 18th and 19th centuries, decorate the vaults and walls, while on the right nave stands out the large canvas attributed to Tanzio da Varallo, depicting San Carlo Borromeo (Saint Charles Borromeo) giving communion to the plague victims. Next to it, the chapel of the Madonna Assunta (the Assumption of the Virgin) houses frescoes by Carlo Giuseppe Borgnis, another exponent of the Vigezzo school. Particularly striking is the wooden crucifix above the main altar, a masterpiece by the sculptor Giorgio de Bernardis from Buttogno. Between the entrance and the apse, ten small columns support small sculpture illustrating the ascent to the Sacro Monte Calvario (Sacred Mount Calvary), recalling the symbolic connection with the nearby Via Crucis.
Outside, the sober and solemn façade was completed in 1954 according to a design by Giovanni Greppi. The Romanesque portal in serpentine stone, framed by a Baroque tympanum, is the only element from the previous church. The bell tower, originally a defence tower, completes the architectural complex with its massive structure in local stone.
Every year, on June the 19th, on the occasion of the patronal feast, a Holy Mass is celebrated, followed by a procession through the streets of the historic centre, bearing witness to the profound devotion of the local community.