The Collegiate Church of the Santissima Annunziata is the main religious building in Masserano, situated along the village’s main street, in a strategic position between the old town centre and the Palazzo dei Principi. Built between 1480 and 1485 at the behest of Innocenzo Fieschi and consecrated in 1486, it replaced the older church of San Teonesto as the parish church.

The interior is spacious and solemn, enriched by an artistic heritage of great value. Among the most important works is the much-venerated Black Madonna of Masserano, known as Salus Infirmorum, housed in a chapel on the left aisle. This sculpture, dating from the second half of the 14th century, is considered the oldest work in the area and has always been the object of deep popular devotion, partly due to its reputed miraculous powers. Transferred here in 1802 from the church of San Teonesto, it is now housed in a chapel designed by Edoardo Arborio Mella.

The chancel houses two important paintings: the *Madonna Enthroned with Saints* (1520) by Girolamo Giovenone and the Madonna of the Rosary (1584) by his son Raffaele. Also of great value is the statue of the Immaculate Virgin Mary, gilded with gold leaf, created by the sculptor Felice Cassina in 1697.

During the 19th century, the collegiate church was further enhanced thanks to the work of the Pre-Raphaelite painter Ferdinando Rossaro, creator of the fourteen Stations of the Cross (1885–1888) and the decorations on the dome depicting the Four Evangelists, which lend great charm to the interior.

The name ‘collegiate church’ derives from the presence, in the past, of a college of canons who administered its religious life. Even today, the church remains the spiritual heart of Masserano, a place of faith, art and tradition, capable of recounting centuries of history through its works and the devotion of the community.