The church of San Lorenzo in Tenno, strategically located near the castle and with a panoramic view of the Lake Garda plain, is an important historical evidence from the 12th century. Scholars speculate that the present structure was built over an earlier building dating back to the 8th century, using materials recovered for the present apse.

The Artistic and Historical Elements

The church has a number of artistic elements covering a wide chronological span from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance, evidence of the life and culture of the community over the centuries. Prominent among these are the reused sculptural material in the exterior pilasters and the single-light windows of the apse, which may have come from a ciborium from the Carolingian period. The structure of the building, with a single nave, reflects two construction phases in the Late Middle Ages: a Romanesque one in the 12th century and another in the 14th century, which saw the reconstruction of the nave.

Interventions and Restorations

During the second half of the 12th century, Veronese-influenced frescoes were created, depicting stories of Saints Lawrence and Roman, and a cycle with Saint George and the dragon. In the 16th century, Cardinal Adriano Castellesi da Corneto promoted architectural interventions such as the construction of a pronaos in front of the church and a new portal. In 1537, the Urbario of Castel Tenno reported that the church of San Lorenzo was used for war and storage purposes.

Decline and Restoration

Since the seventeenth century, the church has suffered gradual deterioration, worsened during Napoleonic rule. In 1912, the structure was declared unfit, but it was restored in the 1950s, removing the 18th-century interventions and restoring the Romanesque fresco cycle. Subsequently, the church was rehabilitated for worship.

Description of the Paintings

The church's Gothic paintings, concentrated in the apse basin, depict Christ Enthroned surrounded by the Evangelists, the Virgin, St. John the Baptist, and scenes from the Martyrdom of St. Lawrence. There are also depictions of the Doctors of the Church and traces of frescoes on the wall of the nave.

The church of San Lorenzo continues to be a valuable testimony to local art and history, attracting the interest of scholars and visitors alike, offering a fascinating glimpse into the past of Tenno and its community.