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PIEVE
DI SANT'APPIANO - Barberino
Val d'Elsa (Fi)
This monumental complex surrounded by tall stately cypress
trees commands attention not only for its panoramic position
but for its historical importance. Located on top of a
hill which slopes towards the river Elsa in the valley
it is a site rich in archeological remaims which go back
to the Etruscan and Roman periods.
In front of the parish church there are four cruciform
pilasters, testifying to the presence of a baptistery
of the VII-VIII centuries located in front of the church.
Badly damaged in the earthquake of 1805 it had to be demolished.
The historical importance of the area is confirmed by
the presence of the remains of Saint Appiano, responsible
for the evangelization of the Valdelsa. The ruins that
we see today are redolent of its' original importance
as the spiritual and administrative center of an area
under which twenty other smaller rural churches depended.
The rich decoration of the baptistery capitals with the
Tau cross and geometric figures show that it was also
one of the official stopping places for the pilgrims along
the via Francigena and moreover that culturally the area
was influenced by Volterra rather than Florence or Siena.
The richness of the building, the presence of cloisters
and the many works of art, such as the frescoes of the
IV century remain a testimony to the esteem in which this
center was certainly held. |
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