The Abbey in Ganna

The San Gemolo Abbey in Ganna, which was built at around the end of the 11th century, is one of the most precious testimonies to the history of this province. It was founded in 1095 by three major authorities of the high clergy of Lombardy, on the authorisation of the Archbishop of Milan, Arnolfo II. Thus, a land that had always been subject to disputes, became the heart of a flourishing monastic activity. The change of the Abbey to a commandry by Eugene IV, in 1477, marked the end of life for the monasteries, depriving them of the innovative wealth that they represented at that time. In 1556, after being closed down, the abbey became a parish church. Its architecture is a mixture of styles from different ages, and the result of management difficulties due to a strong feudal power represented by towers and fortified walls. The Abbey, the pentagonal Cloister and the bell tower were built in the Romanesque period. The arcades along the five sides of the interior garden provide a spatial harmony of ancient times. The church's facade expresses solidity and importance. The inside tells the abbey's story of suffering and intensity. The central nave, overlapped by a barrel vault, invites the visitor to approach the altar, which is lit with coloured light from the overhanging mosaic. The two lateral aisles, with crossed vaults, are decorated with frescos from the 13th and 15th centuries, reminders of the glorious splendour of the Monastery.

The Legend of San Gemolo T he origins of the abbey are linked to a legend, according to which, around the first decades of the 11th century, Saint Gemolo, a young deacon on a pilgrimage to Rome, was beheaded by a group of robbers from the Seprio area. After being killed, the young man picked up his own head and rode up to the place where the Benedictine abbey stands today.

The Abbey Museum
The Cloister is home to the Abbey Museum, which houses historical relics, church ornaments from the Carolingian time, some ancient laud books, a collection of lace and embroidery from the 19th century, ceramics of various origins, and a small picture gallery. There are also showcases holding prehistoric finds.

The Burning of the Cotton Wool Ball
The liturgical celebration of Saint Gemolo is on February 4. In Ganna, the celebration coincides, of course, with the patron saint's day, on the first Sunday closest to that date. At the heart of the celebration, there is the mass, which follows a special liturgy specifically for that day, with the reading of the "passion" instead of the first reading, the singing of the hymn to Saint Gemolo, and the burning of a cotton wool ball.

Information: www.badiadiganna.org