Chiesa di Sant'Ansano a Dofàna, Church in Dofana, Castelnuovo Berardenga, Italy
The Chiesa di Sant'Ansano a Dofàna is a church in Casetta, in the Dofana locality of Castelnuovo Berardenga. It has a facade preceded by a portico with a bell tower at its center, rebuilt by Egidio Bellini in 1930. A few hundred meters away stands the octagonal Oratorio di Sant'Ansano, with a rectangular apse and a lower section in stone, probably pre-Romanesque, while the brick upper part dates to the 16th century.
The church is documented from 1139 and was rebuilt several times, most notably by Egidio Bellini in 1930, who gave it the facade with a porch and a central bell gable. The nearby octagonal oratory, traditionally held to be Saint Ansano's martyrdom site, is first recorded in an 867 donation by Count Winigis to the Berardenga Abbey; it was ruined by 1500 and rebuilt between 1507 and 1508 with the consent of the Bishop of Arezzo. It was restored in 1931 and 1980.
The name Sant'Ansano honours the martyr whose left-arm reliquary, a 14th-century work, belongs to the church but is kept at the Soprintendenza in Siena. The nearby octagonal oratory marks the traditional site of his martyrdom, and a 1575 apostolic visit recorded it as regularly officiated.
This small chapel is located in the countryside and is best reached by car, as regular public transportation does not serve the site. Visitors should check ahead to confirm if the building is open, as it is not accessible on a daily basis.
The church once held Pietro Lorenzetti's Pala del Carmine, now in the Pinacoteca Nazionale di Siena. Its left-arm reliquary of Saint Ansano, a 14th-century piece, and a Madonna and Child attributed to Lorenzo Rustici are kept at the Soprintendenza in Siena rather than on site.
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