The original church of Cendrole, dedicated to Santa Maria Assunta, is among the oldest religious buildings in the localities in the Riese Pio X district and represents the first Christian nucleus of Riese.
Cendrole has Roman origins: the name itself comes from "cinerulae", with allusion to the cremation of the dead, a practice of pagan origin. In the place where the current sanctuary stands, in fact, in Roman times, there was a cult dedicated to the female divinity Diana, virgin goddess of hunting and the woods. In the following Christian age the cult of the pagan goddess turns into a Marian cult.
A legend told that the church was built following the apparition of Mary to a paesant threatened by wolves among the remains of a burning forest. After having saved her from danger, the Virgin would have indicated to the girl the plan of the future church by tracing it on the ground with the ashes of the forest.
The construction work was entrusted to the architect Ottaviano Scotti and lasted about thirty years.
The church hosted some paintings from the 16th and 20th centuries, including a Sant'Eurosia by Noè Bordignon and a canvas attributed to Luca Giordano (Naples, 1634 - 1705), a famous painter of Neapolitan origin.
