The Church of Santo Spirito, situated in the village of Masserano, is a fine example of Piedmontese Baroque architecture, closely linked to the history of the Confraternity of the Holy Spirit, which, from the 17th century onwards, made it its religious and social centre. The church was consecrated in 1692 and remains today the most significant testament to the influence and prestige attained by the confraternity over the centuries.

The building, as we see it today, is the result of the Confraternity’s efforts, which gradually enriched it with precious furnishings and works of art, many of which are now preserved in the Collegiate Church. Among the most important features are the two side chapels: the Chapel of the Crucifix (1693) and the Chapel of Our Lady of Sorrows (1697), both created by the stucco artist Carlo Giovanni Zaninetti and characterised by rich sculptural stucco decoration.

The interior is spacious and impressive, featuring round-arched cross vaults and finely decorated side altars. Immediately after the entrance, on the right, lies the Chapel of Saint Anthony of Padua, built in 1650 as a votive offering; next come the chapels of Saint Diego and Saint Francis, the latter adorned with stucco work and frescoes depicting episodes from the saint’s life. On the opposite side are the chapels of St Bonaventure and St Peter of Alcantara, the latter completely covered in frescoes.

The raised chancel, bordered by an elegant continuous balustrade created in 1850 by Edoardo Arborio Mella, leads to a side room that once housed the Chapel of Salus Infirmorum. This space, decorated in the second half of the 17th century, preserves highly evocative frescoes, including a depiction of the Nativity of the Virgin and a spectacular Coronation of Mary on the vault, enhanced by a false dome.

With the dissolution of the confraternity in the early 20th century, the church lost some of its former splendour, but it remains to this day a true ‘Baroque gem’, where architecture, decoration and devotion blend into a whole of great artistic and historical value for the Piedmont region.