Description of the attraction
The Church of San Martino in the town of Arnad in the Val d'Aosta region of Italy today attracts tourists with its ancient cycle of frescoes and color drawings located in the backyard. The current building of the church is in the shape of a quadrangle with three naves and a roof converted from Gothic groin vaults. The columns, almost all also in the shape of a quadrangle, support huge arches that rest on capitals. The façade of San Martino is decorated with a 15th-century tuff portal, which in turn is notable for a keeled arch, which consists of two intertwined tree trunks with a round rosette window on top. Also worth paying attention to are the graceful vaulted windows. The bell tower of the church with a square base is crowned with a high pyramidal spire.
The ceiling of the left side chapel of San Martino is decorated with frescoes from the late Gothic period. They depict Saint George conquering the dragon, the feast of Herod, the crucifixion of Christ and the beheading of the head of John the Baptist. Inside, the parish museum houses several interesting ritual objects, including a crucifix from the second half of the 13th century and two German bas-reliefs depicting Saints Roch and Sebastian, the creation of which is attributed to the pupils of the sculptor Michael Part (second half of the 16th century). In order to visit the museum, it is necessary to arrange in advance with the parish priest Arnada.
