Cappella della Bruna

The Chapel of La Bruna is not only a place of Marian devotion, but also an important witness of the centuries-old cult that the people of Mugello paid to Blessed Giovanni Bruni, born in Vespignano in 1234 and died in Florence in 1331. This blessed man, a figure of great piety and veneration, was one of the most significant personalities in Mugello's spirituality. His figure is closely linked to the chapel, which, according to tradition, he himself would have used as a place of retreat when he was young. Giovanni Bruni is known not only for his life of faith, but also for his connection to the territory, and his remains were transferred from San Pier Maggiore to San Giovanni Maggiore, near Ronta, in 1801. Already since 1723, one of his relics was venerated in the church of Santa Maria in Olmi, in Borgo San Lorenzo, a sign of how the cult of Blessed Giovanni was widespread and deeply rooted in the area. The appearance we see today, with the gabled facade and a single-nave interior, dates back to a significant restoration in the 19th century, as evidenced by a marble plaque placed on the building's door. This restoration gave the building its current configuration, while preserving the intimate and evocative atmosphere of a place that has been a point of reference for the community for centuries. In 1985, further consolidation works on the structures and the restoration of the altar fresco helped further enhance the artistic heritage of the chapel. The fresco, depicting a Madonna of the Milk, is a work from the Florentine workshop of the mid-15th century and is attributed, according to some sources, to the painter Paolo Schiavo. This fresco, along with the other decorative elements inside, enriches the chapel with an aura of beauty and spirituality that has its roots in the Tuscan Renaissance. In addition to its religious function, the chapel continues to be a place of historical and spiritual memory, which tells not only of the Madonna venerated by the community, but also of the figure of Giovanni Bruni, who with his life marked an important chapter in the faith and culture of Mugello.

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