San Pietro a Pitiana, Romanesque church in Reggello, Italy
San Pietro a Pitiana is a parish church in Reggello whose interior was remodelled into a single nave in 1631, when the side aisles were absorbed into the adjoining Villa Guicciardini and the canonica; the 1888 restoration added neo-medieval decoration to the trussed roof and walls. Its late Renaissance facade carries a 16th-century portico, and the Romanesque bell tower, already recorded in 1028, stands in its 12th-century form.
The church was founded before 1000 and first documented in 1032, establishing its roots in medieval Tuscany. It gained prominence in 1469 when Giovanni Cavalcanti hosted Lorenzo de' Medici within its walls.
The church keeps two panels by Ridolfo del Ghirlandaio: a Madonna with Child and Saints John and Ignatius of Antioch at the right transept altar, and an Annunciation at the left altar. The first was sold illegally by the parish priest in 1946, found in a Florence antiques shop on 27 December 1999 and put back soon after.
Access to the interior requires scheduling an appointment in advance, which can be arranged through the local information office at +39 055 8669236. Allow time to coordinate your visit before arriving at the site.
The Madonna and Child with Saints John and Ignatius of Antioch, probably commissioned by Michelangelo di Braccio Guicciardini, was sold illegally by the local parish priest in 1946. It was found in a Florentine antiques shop on 27 December 1999 and put back on the right transept altar soon after.
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