Chiesa Santa Maria Assunta, Religious church in Bientina, Italy

Santa Maria Assunta is a church in Bientina with a single nave and side altars, covered by a carved wooden coffered ceiling painted by Andrea Mattei in 1749, with the Assumption carved at its centre. The stone facade has a portal, two windows and an oculus with an Assumption fresco. The presbytery holds a polychrome marble high altar made by Giovanni Baratta in 1701.

Documented from 1326, the church became a pieve in the 15th century and was consecrated to the Virgin Assumption on 27 September 1509. Between 1628 and 1639 it was enlarged and rebuilt to a design by Florentine architect Gherardo Silvani, a project that involved demolishing the bell tower; it was consecrated again in 1644. In 1699 the relics of Saint Valentine, exhumed from the Catacombs of San Callisto in 1681, arrived and prompted a Rococo redecoration of the interior.

The church holds a pipe organ built by Bartolomeo Ravani in 1640, housed in a wooden case designed by Silvani. This instrument continues to shape the musical character of services and celebrations within these walls today.

The church stands at Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II in the town center and is easily accessible on foot. Visitors should keep in mind that opening hours follow the liturgical calendar and may change according to religious observances.

The wooden ceiling was painted by Andrea Mattei in 1749 and stands as a major artistic feature inside the church. These painted details often receive less attention than the building's architectural development over the centuries.