Pieve di S. Lorenzo

The Parish Church of San Lorenzo in Borgo San Lorenzo is an imposing monument that, since 934, bears witness to the religious and artistic history of the Mugello community. Although the first documented traces of the church date back to this year, the current structure is the result of a significant reconstruction that took place between the 12th and 13th centuries, giving the parish church its Romanesque appearance, with a simple façade and a large semicircular apse. Over the centuries, the building has undergone several restorations and expansions, maintaining its importance as a center of worship and a symbol of spirituality for the village. One of the peculiarities of the parish church is its terracotta bell tower, characterized by an irregular hexagonal plan, rising above the apse. This bell tower is a unique example of its kind and features five superimposed levels, with single and double lancet windows that allow the sound of the six bells in E3, cast in 1826 by the Prato founder Santi Gualandi, to resonate. Each bell has a name: the Grossa, the Misericordia, the Terza di Sù, the Terza di Giù, the Danda, and the Piccina, with the largest of them weighing around 1400 kg. Inside, the church is divided into three naves by columns and square pillars, with the central nave culminating in the imposing semicircular apse. The monumentality of the interior space combines with the sober decoration of the capitals, which feature elegant angular volutes and stylized leaves. The apse area houses the large structure of the high altar, which houses a wooden Crucifix from the 16th century, sculpted in a style close to the works of Jacopo Sansovino. The parish church houses some of the most precious works of art, including a painted fragment attributed to Giotto. The panel depicts a Madonna and Child and is the only work by Giotto still preserved in the Mugello. This fragment, originating from the oratory of Sant'Omobono, was found under a later painting and restored between 1982 and 1984. The panel, part of a larger painting, is considered an early work by Giotto, dating back to the phase when the painter was developing his innovative style. The work can be compared to the Stories of Isaac in the Upper Basilica of Assisi, highlighting the mastery and emotional depth of the painter. In the right nave, other masterpieces enrich the church. Among these, the Deposition by Cesare Velli (1592), commissioned by Francesca Cocchi in memory of her husband Giovanbattista Cocchi, and the Madonna of the Rosary with Saints attributed to Jacopo Vignali. Additionally, in the same nave, we find another valuable work: a painted Cross from the late 14th century, of Florentine school, probably by Lorenzo Monaco. On the left side, the Madonna and Child by Niccolò di Pietro Gerini, dated between 1375 and 1380, is another testimony of Florentine painting of the 14th century. To these, works like the Immaculate Conception by Jacopo Vignali and a canvas depicting the Virgin interceding with Christ to stop the plague, signed and dated 1615 by Matteo Rosselli, are added. Another important element to highlight is the panel with the Madonna and Child with Saints John the Baptist and Thomas, a work by Piero di Cosimo, dated between 1510 and 1515, commissioned by the Confraternity of the Madonna, known as the Nativity of the Virgin or the Blues, which had an oratory attached to the parish church. This painting, restored in 2005-2006, comes from the Sanctuary of the Most Holy Crucifix of Miracles and was located there since the 18th century. Another masterpiece that had enriched the Parish Church of San Lorenzo is the bust of San Lorenzo, a splendid terracotta attributed to Donatello. This bust represents the young Levite saint, wearing the diaconal dalmatic and holding the palm of martyrdom in his right hand, symbol of his death for faith, and the sacred book (the Gospel) in his left. The iconography follows the traditional one, but Donatello's realization represents a modern reflection on the theme of the Renaissance portrait bust, symbol of the ability to represent the individuality and spirituality of the subject. The bust was originally placed above the central portal of the church façade, where it remained until 1888. In that year, the Florentine antiquarian and collector Stefano Bardini seized it, replacing it with a modern copy. After being stolen, the Donatellian bust was sold in the international antique market, but another copy, probably made by a local craftsman in the 17th-18th century, was destined for the parish church and is still located in the right nave, above the third altar. It is interesting to hypothesize that the bust was commissioned directly by the parish priest Jacopo di Giovanni Ugolini, who held that position from 1432 to 1447, a period that perfectly coincides with the proposed chronology for the work. His coat of arms is still visible on the lintel of a small side door of the parish church. The Parish Church of San Lorenzo is therefore a true time capsule, where history, art, and religiosity intertwine in a journey that spans centuries, from its foundation in the 9th century to the most recent works of the 20th century.

Foto