The monastic complex of Sant’Antonio di Ranverso in Rosta, near Turin, on the stretch of the Via Francigena between Rivoli and Avigliana, at the entrance of the Val di Susa, is one of the most famous examples of international Gothic.
Set in a well-preserved natural environment, the architectural complex of Piedmont still appears today perfectly recognizable in its original composition, including besides the church, the monastery (with its preserved cloister), the hospital (of which only the remarkable facade with gable and pinnacles remains intact), where the Antonine monks provided care to those suffering from so-called Saint Anthony’s fire (or ignis sacris), as well as a complex system of farmhouses. In the 13th and 14th centuries, the Abbey underwent many expansions and renovations and towards the end of the 1400s was enriched with fine terracotta decorations shaped with flower and fruit designs, on the entrance arches and on the facade of the Hospital.
Also from the 15th century are the marvelous frescoes by Giacomo Jaquerio who decorated the interior of the Church. The high altar is surmounted by the splendid polyptych by Defendente Ferrari commissioned in 1531 by the Community of Moncalieri. The Antonines ceased their activity at the Abbey in 1776 when the ownership of the complex, with its agricultural dependencies, passed to the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus. The complex is still owned today by the Maurizian Order Foundation.
