Church of the invention of santo stefano

The Church of the Invention of Santo Stefano is located in the centre of Laveno-Mombello, in the province of Varese.

Documented since the 12th century, over the centuries it has undergone various reconstructions resulting in its current appearance, dating back to 1913. The most noteworthy treasures include the wooden altar and the frescoes of the apse, the triumphal arch, the chapel of the Virgin of the Rosary, all dating from the first half of the 1600s and attributable to De Advocatis. On the right wall you can admire a fresco with geometric patterns. A series of ceramic tiles by Albino Reggiori can be seen in the chapel of the baptistery.

Towards the 4th century, the discovery of the body of St. Stephen (a highly revered figure throughout the Church)  was an extraordinary event that was celebrated with a memorial festival. Hence the name of the church:  "Invention" is in fact a Latin term that means "finding."

While the discovery of St. Stephen's remains in 415 did not mark the beginning of the saint's following (which had already begun), it undoubtedly helped to increase it. The practice of worshipping at the tomb of martyrs began in the 2nd century and grew in the 4th century after religious freedom was obtained in 313 with the Edict of Constantine. Evidence of this phenomenon continues to live on in the Church in Laveno-Mombello.