Parish church of Pieve Salutare

The parish church (formerly known as Pieve di San Pietro in Cerreto) stood since the year 955.

Shattered and partly ruined by earthquakes in the area over the centuries, it was finally  destroyed following intense seismic activity in the autumn of 1870. Completely rebuilt  in the following year, it was consecrated on 28 September 1872.

Inside, there are some fine paintings: next to the high altar, on the right, there is an oil painting on canvas from 1720 depicting the ‘Enthroned Madonna suckling the Child, between St. Anthony of Padua and St. Francis di Paola’ and the lower part depicts the coat of arms of the Conti di Castrocaro family.

Intense is the portrait of the ‘Crucifixion with Weeping Women’, oil on canvas from the Church of Church of St Thomas in Bagnolo, and two further paintings, dating from the 18th century: the first depicts St James wearing the distinctive pilgrim’s robes, the second St Christopher carrying the Child on his shoulders.

In a small chapel, carved out of the original baptistery, has been kept, since 1973, the sacred image of the Madonna della Tosse, since the former Church, which was located in the parish due to war causes, was declared unsafe (year 1954) and then demolished.

Finally, during recent restoration work in the rectory, some details from the old church have come to light: a spungone stone pillar and a beautiful neoclassical drapery decoration under the plaster.

Entrance fee: Free entrance.
Directions: 4 km from Castrocaro Terme, in Via Nazionale on the road leading to Florence.