Santa Maria Assunta, Romanesque collegiate church in Camaiore, Italy.
Santa Maria Assunta is a Romanesque collegiate church at the heart of Camaiore, identifiable by its stone bell tower. The interior is divided into three aisles and topped by a central dome that crowns the main prayer space.
Founded in 1278 as the village outgrew the Benedictine abbey of San Pietro, the church was built in Romanesque style, and its square bell tower followed between 1350 and 1365. Badly damaged in the 1536 earthquake, it was rebuilt and reopened for worship, then remodelled in Baroque taste in the 18th century with a new apse and side chapels. It was consecrated on 23 October 1799 by Lucca's archbishop Filippo Sardi.
The name Santa Maria Assunta refers to the Assumption of Mary, to which the church is dedicated; the feast was once celebrated every 15 March, though the exact dedication date was unknown. In the chapel at the end of the left nave, dedicated to the Blessed Sacrament, hang Stefano Tofanelli's Annunciation above the altar and Pier Dandini's Communion of the Apostles on the right wall.
The church sits on Piazza San Bernardino in Camaiore's center and is easy to reach on foot. Visiting outside of service times offers a quieter experience for exploring the interior at your own pace.
The bell tower holds three large bells plus two smaller ones that do not form a chord with them. The largest, cast in 1740 by the Lucchese founder Pietro Berti, is the biggest in Camaiore after those of Capezzano Pianore; the middle bell dates from 1835 and the small one from 1910.
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