Church

Having reached the much-desired goal of parish unification, the faithful of Bonaldo found themselves facing the problem that the old church was decaying due to its age and could barely accommodate the entire population.

It was therefore necessary to build a new church, even though it was a pity to see that ancient building, to which the people were particularly attached, fall into ruin. It was indeed demolished eight years after the construction of the new church in 1893, following much hesitation, while the bell tower remained standing for a longer time.

During the demolition, three graves were brought to light, believed to belong to deceased members of the important and prestigious Bonaldo family.

The works to erect the new place of worship began with the laying of the first stone on July 28, 1878. The work lasted for seven years and concluded with the blessing of the building on November 21, 1885. This resulted in a monumental building, with half columns, in neoclassical style, featuring perfect symmetry and harmonious lines with a single nave.

Initially, the Church of Sant’Apollinare in Bonaldo had five altars: the altar of the Blessed Sacrament or main altar, the altar of the Immaculate, that of Our Lady of the Rosary, of Saint Anthony, and of Saint Joseph. Currently, while retaining their original placement, they have undergone some changes in their dedication. We now find the main altar dedicated to the patron Saint Apollinare, that of the Immaculate Conception, the Sacred Heart, Saint Anthony of Padua, Saint Joseph, and Our Lady of Health in the “cesolina”.

Inside the church, various works of art can be admired, including frescoes and sculptures that depict the life of Saint Apollinare, the patron saint of Zimella. The wall decorations, the result of the work of local artists, testify to the devotion of the community and the richness of the artistic tradition of the territory.

The church features: a statue of the Pietà, which represents the Madonna with Christ in her lap, blessed by Pope Pius X; a statue of Saint Teresa, purchased in 1926 on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the arrival of the nuns in Bonaldo and the establishment of the nursery school; a processional throne (made of wood), purchased in 1900 by the Confraternity of the Blessed Sacrament; the Stations of the Cross in terracotta, whose panels were executed by the master ceramist Giovanni Petuccio from Nove di Bassano, after the Second World War; and a marble holy water font, which may have belonged to the old church.