Pieve di Santa Maria in Acquedotto

The Santa Maria in Acquedotto Parish Church stands in the countryside of Forli, about 4 km from the city center. It is situated in the line through which the Roman aqueduct built by Trajan passed. Few documents attest to its history: tradition has it that it was one of the first seven parish churches commissioned by Galla Placidia. The earliest records bear the date of 963. From the studies carried out it is believed that the church underwent at least three interventions in the “Romanesque” period starting from the year 1000, in which the floors were raised, the bell tower rebuilt and the crypt added. Further interventions in the late 19th and early 20th centuries sought to give the monument a medieval style. The raising of the floors, the four T-pillars and the roofing of the two aisles altered the original overall design. Surviving parts of the ancient building are evident in the masonry, recognizable by bricks of different colors and coarse-textured mortars. The facade has a large portal with a blind lunette surmounted by a mullioned window and two pilasters. The bell tower, 15 meters high, with a square base, dates back to 1200. The apse is semicircular both outside and inside. The counterfaçade is engraved with Our Lady of the Halo, dating from the 14th century. The church also houses a small 18th-century organ, still in use today. Most of the pre-1500 frescoes have been destroyed while others, post-1573, have been covered over. Traceable on the walls are a St. Agatha and a St. John the Evangelist by a local painter of the late 16th century. Some medieval frescoes that surfaced on the walls as a result of some work are currently being recovered.