Oratorio di San Carlo

via Carlo Varese, 44 - 15057 Tortona (AL)
Tel. +39 (0131) 816.609
https://www.cittaecattedrali.it/it/bces/456-oratorio-di-san-carlo

The church, commonly known as "Oratorio di San Carlo", is actually entitled to Saints Sebastian and Charles and rises in one of the oldest streets of the city, where the current Via Carlo Varese crosses Via Padre Michele da Carbonara.
The construction of the oratory commissioned by the "Confraternity of Saints Sebastian and Rocco" arose in the first half of the 16th century close to the nearby Church of St Matthew and aggregated with the archconfraternity of Santa Maria del Gonfalone di Roma in 1581. Due to the contrasts arisen with the Lateran Canons who had been looking after Saint Matthew’s in 1622 the brothers obtained the authorisation from Bishop Paolo Arese to erect their own oratory. Given that there was already an oratory dedicated to San Rocco in Tortona, the new construction was entitled to Saints Sebastian and Charles. The works, begun in 1623, were completed two years later and the building was solemnly consecrated in 1625.
The following years saw a series of works which gave the oratory its current
shape.
In 1910, to mark the third centenary of the canonisation of St. Charles, the gabled facade was enriched by the frescoes of Pietro Mietta, a painter from Tortona. Today, only the central scene with St. Charles communicating the plague victims can be read.
Particularly exquisite is the 18th century portal: on the central door, a medallion depicts St. Charles kneeling in prayer and, below, the Greek cross with half-moon terminations, insignia of the Confraternity.
Inside, the visitor can admire several interesting works in the nave with semi-circular apse: on the left altar the wooden processional statue of Our Lady of the Assumption, realised in 1851-1852 by Luigi Montecucco of Gavi Ligure. A beautiful balustrade inlaid in polychrome marbles realised between 1757 and 1758 divides the nave from the presbytery area. It was realised by the De Giudici family from Lombardy, who also sculpted the balustrade of the San Rocco oratory.
The choir, in walnut wood, is datable to the late eighteenth century; the central seat is adorned on the top by a fastigium with the cross of the Confraternity. Above you can admire an altar piece depicting Our Lady on the throne with Child and between the Saints Sebastian and Rocco: it was painted between 1577 and 1579 by the painter Scipione Crespi from Tortona, for the altar which the Confraternity had in St. Matthew’s Church; when the brothers moved to their new oratory they also brought this panel with them; it had to be modified in the upper part to be inserted into the frame in seventeenth century stucco. Returning to the aula, on the right side is a painting depicting the transit of St. Joseph, work of the Lombard school of the late eighteenth century.