Brembate and the Church-Grotto of San Vittore

Brembate is an Italian town of about 8000 inhabitants in the province of Bergamo, in Lombardy. It is located near the western plain and is crossed by the Brembo river. The history of this village has very ancient origins: numerous finds occurred in the area (especially burials accompanied by various jewels), are attributed to the Neolithic and Iron Ages. Among its religious monuments, the church-cave of San Vittore stands out, so called because it is characterized by the presence of a cave on the lower floor. The church is dedicated to Vittore, a Mauritanian soldier (of African origins) who converted to Christianity and was persecuted for this reason, which led him to take refuge in the countryside, as far as possible from the city, right near this church. Inside the cave, the right part is still made up entirely of rock, while the left part has been adapted to a church, after having closed the part facing the river. It is said that the cave became sacred because, during the period in which San Vittore was persecuted, he buried himself to hide it from the sight of his pursuers. In 1300, the cave was completed and reinforced by two pillars which allowed the construction of the upper church. The church and the cave are connected thanks to 33 steps that the faithful used to walk down on their knees, but unfortunately they are no longer visible today; visitors must therefore make a further tour of the structure in order to access the upper floor.