Ancient church of Santa Maria
Resort: Villeneuve
Summer 2025
Open every Saturday in July and August from 3pm to 6pm - by parish volunteers
Extra openings will be held with pre-booking for school groups and organised tour groups.
Before you travel, consult the “Open door churches” appto check the list of places actually available, since some of them may not be visitable for religious functions or restoration maintenance interventions.
Visit the church by booking with the “Open door churches” app.
Register on the website Chiese a porte aperte
-then click on the "Register" button and fill in all the information required, accepting privacy for the processing of your data
-Once you have completed the entry of all information you will receive an email to the address with which you registered, with a link for verification of your new account (check also in the SPAM folder).
-Once the verification is complete, you can download the app "Churches with open doors" and book a visit to the church
You can access the church on foot, within the space of five minutes, from the road that unwinds from the bridge over the Dora Baltea.
The Romanesque style church, which is located at the foot of the medieval castle, was the seat of the parish until the end of the 18th century. The bell tower is a typical square shaped tower. During the digs carried out in the building, the remains of the ancient early-Christian church and the relative baptismal font were found.
The semi-circular shaped crypt, near the choir, dates back to the 11th century. Inside the church you can still admire important frescos from the 13th to the 16th century, as well as furnishings.
Visit the church by booking with the “Open door churches” app: once you have downloaded the app you must register. When on site at the selected time, just frame a QR code to open the church door and to start the “narrator voice”, combined with a lighting system of the artistic details. At the end of the visit, the door closes automatically.