Rustico was Fermo’s squire and the two of them, assisted by a bear and an eagle, used to wander about the mountains of the Val Camonica. This is one of the obscure local legends about the two saints, who, according to other reports, were martyred at Verona, buried at Carthage and whose remains were temporarily returned to Berzo, their home town. To these two is dedicated this richly-painted church, full of precious marbles and the keeper of yet another legend.
According to tradition, it was the Emperor Maximilian himself who asked these two saints to intercede and save his horses. They had been hit by an epidemic while passing through Berzo on a journey. Miraculously the animals were saved.
On the walls of the church dedicated to Saints Fermo and Rustico, which dates from the 15th century, amongst paintings by Francesco Lorenzi, Gianbettino Cignaroli and Federico Ferrario, there are also masterpieces with a strong Venetian influence by Gian Paolo Cavagna, the Bergamasche painter of the late Renaissance period, who also painted the work dedicated to the Martyrdom of Saints Fermo and Rustico.
As is the case with many other examples of religious architecture in this area, the façade of the church is faced in white Dolomia, the precious ornamental marble extracted from the nearby quarries of Zandobbio. Next to the church, there stands an 18th century bell tower that was built on the ruins of an ancient castle of which all trace has today been lost. There are also still traces of a meeting place for a religious cult dating back to 712 A.D. that once occupied the site and preceded both the castle and church.
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OF NOTE:
– the sacristy, which is of the Fantoni School, and the intarsia crucifix
– works by Gian Paolo Cavagna, Francesco Lorenzi, Gianbettino Cignaroli and Federico Ferrario
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VISITING:
Is by appointment and previous application to the parish priest.
The duration of the visit is around 30 minutes.
There is a car-park.
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