The Church of San Salvatore located in Barzano’ is one of the most evocative medieval monuments not only in the Brianza area but of the whole of Lombardy. The period of foundation is unknown but the elevated position that dominates the entire town, the small size and some toponymic and archaeological traces link it to the presence of the existing fortified castrum on this hill since at least the tenth century. It is therefore likely that San Salvatore was originally a castle church for private use of the lord and the residents of the fortified village.
During the XII century a community of priests called in Italian Canonica, was established next to the church. This community lived and served the surrounding area following the example of community life. These priests ran the religious functions until the closure of the building by Cardinal Federico Borromeo in 1610 in favour of the new and larger parish church of San Vito. The memory and importance of this institution still leave traces in the popular name given to the small medieval church known in fact as the Canonica of San Salvatore.
The current building is modest in size, with a simple rectangular plan. The only decorations on the gabled façade are the three upper single light windows and the large stone portal which is slightly off-centre in the façade and the openings above proving that it was inserted later than the construction of the wall. The slender semi-columns in Serizzo on the sides of the wooden portal end with curious anthropomorphic capitals in Molera stone above which rises an elegant two-tone arch, framing a lunette with a ruined Marian-themed fresco. The arch, made of alternating blocks of Musso and Serizzo marble, it is surmounted by a gable supported by two small columns. At the top of the gable stands a sheep's head, a symbol of Christ.
The monumental entrance provides the only certain date of the entire medieval construction site: an inscription engraved in Gothic characters that runs along the upper frame of the arch gives us the name of the stonecutter, Serin Petrus, and the year of execution, 1231. The date of construction of the portal likely indicates the year when the work was completed. Starting from there, let's try to work backward and reconstruct the history of the Rectory by examining the interior.