Pieve Santa Maria

The Parish Church of Santa Maria in Dicomano is one of the oldest and most significant places of worship in the valley. With over a thousand years of history, this church has gone through centuries of transformations while maintaining its central role in the religious, social, and artistic life of the local community. The origins of the parish church probably date back to the Lombard era, but the first documented mention is from the 10th century. The name Santa Maria refers to the Marian cult, widespread in medieval parishes, emphasizing its importance as a reference point for the local population. Thanks to its strategic position along the Sieve River, Dicomano has always played a crucial role in the connections between Florence and Romagna. The parish church, built along the ancient transit routes, was for centuries a stopping place for travelers, pilgrims, and merchants. Over time, the building underwent various restoration and expansion works, yet preserving its original Romanesque structure intact. During the Renaissance, the parish church was enriched with valuable artworks and decorations, also thanks to the intervention of the powerful Florentine families who administered the territory. In addition to being a place of worship, the Parish Church of Santa Maria was a gathering center for the community of Dicomano. Here, not only the main liturgical celebrations were held, but also civil assemblies and important moments of the social life of the village. Over the centuries, the parish church has maintained its baptismal function, a feature that distinguishes it from simple parish churches. Even today, the baptismal font is one of the most significant elements of its artistic heritage. Its historical relevance is also evidenced by the fact that, during the rule of the Florentine Republic, the parish church became a reference point for the control of the territory by the ecclesiastical and political authorities of Florence. The building retains its Romanesque layout, with a simple yet solemn structure, characterized by a stone facade and an interior with three aisles supported by sandstone columns. Among the artworks preserved inside, there is a valuable medieval baptismal font, a symbol of worship continuity over the centuries, a 15th-century Florentine school fresco depicting the Madonna and Child, a medieval wooden crucifix, an example of popular devotion linked to the church. Unfortunately, many of the parish church's artworks have been lost over the centuries, but the building still exudes an aura of ancient spirituality and beauty. A local legend tells of an ancient Marian relic kept in the church, which was carried in procession for centuries to protect the village from natural disasters. Another anecdote concerns an ancient manuscript that, according to some scholars, was written by a local scholar inside the sacristy of the parish church and contains information about the religious and popular traditions of the area.

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