The façade of the Church of San Giuseppe features Venetian-style double and single windows. This element, along with the mosaics found inside, can be traced back to the fact that the works were entrusted to Mr. Vittorio Saccardo, Chief Architect of the Basilica of St. Mark in Venice. It is logical to assume that he also brought to Monte di Malo the richness, splendor of the mosaics, and the typical style of the Serenissima Republic.
In the loggia, we find the statue of the Pietà, a notable 15th-century work unfortunately damaged by a renovation and especially by incorrect painting.
Inside the church, one can admire masterpieces. In the main altar, besides the two splendid angels, the mosaics with different functions and uses stand out.
Mosaics with decorative functions are recognizable for their floral and geometric motifs, and mosaics with symbolic functions, in which appear the ear of wheat and the chalice to indicate the Eucharist; there are also figurative mosaics, and right at the front of the altar, we find the most majestic one: it depicts the Supper of the Disciples of Emmaus with Jesus.
On either side of the choir, we observe two large frescoes. On the left is represented the rejection of Bethlehem, with Joseph and Mary seeking refuge in a cave as they are turned away by the city's inhabitants. On the right, however, is the marriage of Mary and Joseph, with all the splendor and the traditional costume of Eastern folklore. The two works are attributed to Napoleone Girotto, a painter from Schio, renowned and famous for having produced frescoes of excellent quality not only from an artistic point of view but also from a historical and archaeological perspective.
Descending from the choir, we head towards the altar of the Madonna and here we also observe floral mosaics, symbolic and decorative mosaics, but the most peculiar and attention-grabbing are two small mosaics placed on the sides. The one on the left represents a woman offering a basket of eggs.
This refers to the offering made by the women of Monte di Malo of the eggs laid by the hens on Saturdays as a tribute for the erection of the altar.
Now, let’s observe the altar of St. Joseph with the episode of St. Joseph’s passing, comforted by Mary and Jesus, in bright colors. Below is another small scene, also in mosaic, of domestic life in Nazareth with the Holy Family at work. The altar of St. Anthony of Padua features some very simple frescoes and floral mosaics. The two mosaics depicting the life of the Saint are splendid.
Opposite this altar stands that of the Holy Cross to commemorate the fallen in war. The mosaic represents the exaltation of the fallen, the heroes who saved the Fatherland during the war.
Above, towards the ceiling, we observe various frescoes, probably due to a very skilled hand that seems to recall that of Girotto. In the four corners of the ceiling, there are scenes related to the life of the Jewish Joseph, establishing a clear comparison between Joseph the Jew and Joseph, husband of Mary, the mother of Jesus. Within these four corner frescoes, there are other frescoes with biblical themes that recall scenes of Moses, Noah, Esau, and Jacob; representations that remember some fundamental episodes of the patriarchs.
On the ceiling, there is instead the funeral of St. Joseph and the transport of his spirit to Heaven with the visit of Jesus who passes from the underworld, through the saints, to heaven. It is an entirely allegorical scene, complex and of great effect.
The Oratory, to the left of the main altar, features the altar from 1640, of the ancient Oratory of St. Roch built during the plague of 1630 that had also struck Monte di Malo. This altar was moved from the small church where the V.R.C garment workshop now stands for worship, while the old sacred building of St. Roch was demolished to construct the new Parish church.
