Two churches in Brissago, a small hamlet on the shores of Lake Maggiore, in the Canton of Ticino, provide an incredible insight on the transformations of historical churches in the Diocese of Lugano in the years leading up to the Second Vatican Council. The Madonna di Ponte and the church of St. Peter and St. Paul, act both as a model and as a warning for future interventions on historical religious heritage. 

The quality of their architectural solutions, and their holistic approach to the design, set an almost unparalleled standard in the adaptation of ancient churches to modern rites. The extent to which the buildings were transformed, nonetheless, poses some fundamental questions on the conservation of the layered historical identity of a church.