The first church dedicated to St. Vito rose not far from the presentday site at least since the 15th century. Following its destruction due to a snow slide, the new sanctuary was built, in the place where it is now, between 1712 and 1720. It is a little building of tonalite granite in two sections; the inside
is covered by a simple vaulted ceiling, the front is hut-like. On the portal one can read the date 17.IHS.20. The background of the presbytery is occupied by a baroque soasa decorated with angels beside which the statues of St. Giovanni Nepomuceno and of St. Curate of Ars lean out. The altar piece, from the 17th century, depicts the saints Vito, Modesto and Crescenzia encircling a Madonna with child seated on the throne. The current name of the sanctuary, which is known as the church of St. Anna, is recent. Vito and Anna are both celebrated in the holiday hat occurs at the end of July. On this occasion, the people of Incudine, divided into groups of men and women, are up for a particular auction, at the end of which the winners have the honour of carrying the statue of St. Anna, and the losers St. Vito, in the procession that closes the event.
Until the middle of the 20th century, the sanctuary preserved a collection of votive offerings, small paintings given by the worshippers for favours received following the supplication of the Saints Vito, Modesto and Crescenzia. The collection, which comprises more than 70 works covering a chronological time span from the 17th to the 20th centuries, is now preserved at the winter chapel of the parish church of St. Maurizio in Incudine.
WHAT TO SEE
After visiting the sanctuary, go to the parish church of St. Maurizio in Incudine to admire the collection of votive offerings coming from St. Vito.
IN THE SURROUNDINGS
The crack of St. Vito (difficult hike): the split in the mountain through which, according to the legend, the Saints Vito and Brizio, escaped from Trentino, arrived in Valle Camonica. In Incudine: in the castle area, the remains of the ancient dwelling; in the Contrade area, north of Incudine al Solivo, the remains of ancient tower-houses that used to belong to the noble Viola family; also north of town, to the right of the national road, the remains of the ancient bridge called “The Wolf’s Leap”; in town, the St. Maurizio parish, in the Solivo area; the church of St. Bernardino, in the Vago area.