Chiesa della Madonna della Neve, Church building in Santa Fiora, Italy.
The Chiesa della Madonna della Neve, also called della Piscina, stands in the lower part of Santa Fiora's medieval centre, in the province of Grosseto. Its facade carries a glazed terracotta relief in the Robbia manner showing Saints Flora and Lucilla, the town's patron saints. Inside, an oval painting by Francesco Nasini dated 1640 depicts figures of saints.
The church was built in the 15th century after a stream was redirected, having previously supplied water through stone channels to medieval craft workshops. This redirection created the conditions that led to the formation of Peschiera and transformed local water management.
The facade displays a 15th-century relief of Saints Flora and Lucilla, reflecting local devotion to these figures. Inside, frescoes of Augustinian saints painted by Francesco Nasini in 1640 show the spiritual importance placed on monastic traditions.
The church stands in the lower part of Santa Fiora's medieval centre, next to the Peschiera where the Fiora springs. The excavated road and stream channel are visible through the glass panels set into the nave floor, so look down as you walk in. The facade relief faces the street and can be seen from outside.
A glass floor section inside the church reveals an ancient road and the exact location of the Fiora water source beneath the building. This transparent feature connects visitors directly to the hidden past beneath their feet.
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