Santa Maria del Sasso Church and Cemetery, Morcote

At the end of the village of Morcote, which was first mentioned in documents in the 10th century, 400 steps lead to a viewing terrace on which the parish church of Santa Maria del Sasso stands. It was probably built in the 13th century and rebuilt in 1462. The orientation was changed in 1758. The late Romanesque bell tower was raised in the 16th century.
The frescoes in the old choir, created in 1513 and attributed to Domenico Sursnicus, are partly hidden behind the organ and depict scenes from the Passion of Jesus. Other frescoes, including the miraculous catch of fish, saints and Renaissance decorations, date back to the turn of the 16th/17th century. The images from the lives of Saints John and Francis, the prophets and sibyls are attributed to Giovan Battista Tarilli.
The stuccoes from 1591 in the Sacrament Chapel refer to the brotherhoods of the 17th century. The illusionist paintings in the chapel opposite are in the Baroque style and were created by Cipriano Pelli from Aranno around 1795.
The main altar made of marble dates from 1758 and bears a statue of the Madonna from the 16th century. The paintings on the sides were created by Davide Antonio Fossati in 1799.

The frescoes in the old choir, dating from 1513 and attributed to Domenico Sursnicus, are partly hidden behind the organ and depict scenes from the Passion of Jesus. Other frescoes, including the Miraculous Catch of Fish, saints and Renaissance decorations, date back to the turn of the 16th/17th century. The images from the lives of Saints John and Francis, the prophets and the sibyls are attributed to Giovan Battista Tarilli.
The stuccoes from 1591 in the Sacrament Chapel refer to the 17th century confraternities. The illustionist paintings in the chapel opposite are in the Baroque style and were executed by Cipriano Pelli from Aranno around 1795.
The main marble altar dates from 1758 and supports a 16th century statue of the Madonna. The paintings on the sides were created by Davide Antonio Fossati in 1799 (Epiphany, Birth of Mary).
The cemetery, in a beautiful panoramic location, has some interesting grave monuments from the 19th century.

Nice to approach from above to get good views of the lake...