The old parish church, now dedicated to St John the Baptist, bears witness to Coccaglio’s importance as an administrative centre of the vast Roman ‘pagus’ and its role as a Christian seat, when it became responsible for the organisation of Christianity in northern Italy in the 4th century. The parish priest’s office in Coccaglio also houses rare and valuable treasures, including a painting by Vincenzo Civerchio depicting Sant’Orsola and Sant’Antonio.
The parish derives its importance from the events and social situation during the period of the barbarian invasions, when the ancient Roman structures of the ‘pagus’ ended up being dissolved. Traditions and documents certify the spread of the Gospel in the territory of Brescia by Saint Anatalone, former Bishop of Milan.
On the square you can see the monument dedicated to the illustrious madrigalist Luca Marenzio (1553 – 1599).
