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Visit the Crypt of S. Antonio, Gravedona, Lake Como
It is dedicated to S. Antony and occupies the underneath area of the presbytery of the above parish church of Saint Vincent.
It is accessible through a lateral stair on the external northern side of the church. It is divided into three naves all ending with semicircular apses with cross vaults and separated by monolithic columns.
Very interesting are the capitals that for the great majority are of cubic type, which show that they do not correspond to the shaft of the columns which, on their turn, lie on plinths of different sizes.
This expedient was adopted to bring the columns to the same level, which certifies that the shafts of the columns are of reuse, dating back to the roman era. Among the columns we can define similar the two external of the second span are completely different as they are two big cylindrical pillars realized with ashlars of two colours, like those in the nearby baptismal church of Santa Maria del Tiglio.
Nowadays, the apse area is separated from the naves by a wall build during the enlarging works of the above church in the 17th century. Anyway, the presence of these sturdy pillars, make us suppose that they had to support the weight of an above building, which correspond to the heightened presbytery of the upper church. The original ceiling had to be at cross vault and perhaps it also supported the weight of the big wooden Crucifix.
The floor is made of tiles different from one another and for sure belonging to a previous era. Inlaid on the floor, have been found two sumps and two big circular crowns made out of well worked stone blocks, one of which is closed at its centre with a worn out stone decorated with entwined floral patterns of Carolingian era.
On the wall of the Main Apse there are some precious pieces of frescoes of the 13th and 14th century.
The small lateral aisles had once two wide mono lancet windows, now closed, which indicates that the crypt was not underground as it is nowadays.
Going out of the crypt, at the south side, you can see the remains of the small apse which are still distinguishable
