Holiday apartment in Motta Dè Conti: Art, Churches and Piedmontese Traditions

Motta Dè Conti combines sacred art, historical traces, local festivals and Piedmontese cuisine. In the town, the highlights range from the parish church of S.S. Annunziata, dating from 1390, and chapels from several centuries to the activities of the Pro Loco Mottese. There is also Mantie on the opposite bank of the Sesia, an ancient horse-changing station, a sculpture and the procession dedicated to San Giovanni. This gives culture enthusiasts tangible reasons to spend time here among historic buildings, local history and regional traditions. For culture enthusiasts, the range extends from sacred buildings and works of art to Roman transport history, festivals and Piedmontese cuisine.

Art in the Parish Church and at the Monumento ai Caduti

In the parish church of S.S. Annunziata, the first altar on the right in the Parrocchia della S.S. Annunziata features a 16th-century panel by Bernardino Lanino. It depicts the mystical marriage of Saint Catherine. The sculpture of the Monumento ai Caduti creates a different accent: the winged goddess of victory crowns a dying soldier. The panel and the sculpture therefore differ clearly in subject and depiction. The religious scene and the winged goddess of victory belong to different works.

Churches and Chapels Dating from Several Centuries

Other sacred buildings include the Chiesetta di San Giovanni Evangelista, dating from 1682. The Cappelletta di San Rocco has a small bell tower, and its altar holds a statue of Saint Roch. The Chiesetta di San Giovanni Battista dates from the 17th century. There is also the Cappelletta SS. Fabiano e Sebastiano, an oratory dating from 1597.

Mantie between the Sesia and the Roman Road

Mantie lies on the opposite bank of the Sesia and can be reached from Motta de' Conti exclusively via Lomellina. The hamlet of Mantie, part of Motta de' Conti, was home to an ancient mutatio ad medias, a horse-changing station on the ancient Roman consular road that connected Rome with Gaul. Mantie also has a small church dedicated to San Rocco, once tended by a resident chaplain. Large stone blocks in the bed of the Sesia near Mantie formed a bridge pier. Mantie thus brings together the river landscape and the history of transport.

Festivals and Piedmontese Cuisine

The procession of the Festa di San Giovanni is organised by the Confraternita di San Giovanni, the Oratorio San Giovanni Bosco and the festival committee. The Sagra del Mais honours maize as one of the symbols of the region. It includes convivial evenings, typical dishes, live music and activities for all age groups. The Pro Loco Mottese focuses its activities on typical Piedmontese cuisine in order to preserve and pass on its unique flavours. The two types of event have different focuses: the procession centres on San Giovanni, while the sagra centres on maize as a symbol of the region.

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