Sant'Eufemia

The Church of Saint Euphemia, the patron saint of Teglio, is one of the first to be built in the Valtellina, if not indeed the most ancient. It is the only building of worship in the Valley devoted to the holy martyr of Chalcedon, in whose basilica the Council was held that re-asserted the divine and human nature of Christ. Archaeological excavations have revealed evidence of the early medieval origins of the church. Under the current floor, in fact, the foundations of three different buildings have been found. The most ancient dates back to the end of the 5th century, the same time as the evangelical action of Sant'Abbondio [Saint Abundius], Bishop of Como. The current plan, on the other hand, retraces the structure of the three-aisled basilica consecrated in 1117. In the 16th century the church was endowed with a bell tower, portals and a white marble rose window. On the level of a parish church, for centuries Sant’Eufemia headed all the churches of the Castellanza di Teglio. In 1625 it gained the title of Collegiate Church and was covered with Baroque decorations. The last enlargement dates back to the 18th century, with the addition of two chapels.