Church of Santa Maria of Pianzo

Place:

Pianzo - 42034 Casina

Contacts:

  • 339 230 2850 Per visita della Chiesa

How to get there:

Accessibility
It's about 12 km from the administrative capital
From Casina you take the town road in the direction of Migliara – Leguigno, not far after you get to a fork in the road you take the town road on the right in the direction of Pianzo.

Gratuitousness:

Yes

Tourist Area:

Appennines

Geographic Area:

Matildic zone

Additional notes:

Additional information Artistic notes:
The former structure of the church was Romanesque with a single nave with squared apse. After restructuring in 1700, attested by incisions or a few stones, the church was enlarged and modified. On the sloping façade made of squared stones, there's an archivolted portal bearing on the keystone an anthropomorphic depiction. A few ashlars bear the dates 216652, "16962 and "1706" probably recalling older restorations or the almost total reconstruction which took place in the XVIII century. A bunged door, which is visible on the western side retains a stone lunette architrave on which a four-armed cross is carved, flanked by circular designs: in the slanted frieze which surrounds the arch there's a sculpted date: "MCCXX…" In the apse there are walled stones forming small arches, which belonged to an antique cornice very similar to the one which can be seen on the sides of the Romanesque oratory of Beleo. Inside the rectory you can see a portal with XVI century architrave. The inside was redone with hall-shape layout during the first years of the 1900's. The squat bell tower with archivolted single-light window cell rises on the eastern side. During the 1900's the church underwent various restructuring works:
- The double light window substituted a 17th century window.
- The stone with human image, located above the portal, was transferred from the house next door.
Right side: above a now walled door there's an antique stone arch. In the lunette there are symbols and inscriptions (MCCX…) rather worn down and of uncertain interpretation.
Inside: from restoration done in the 700's it is in Baroque style with gypsum friezes.
Celebrations: August 15th for the Santa Maria Assunta feast.

Analytical text:

Description: The foundation of the church is deemed to date back to the Longobard period; its history is intertwined with that of the countryside and of the nearby castle, which was built around the XI century by the Attonidi. Local tradition has it that the castle was built with stones from the antique Venus temple, which was located on Mt Venera. Starting from 1356, Pianzo appears in the records of Reggiano Curia as directly dependent on the Bishop and not connected to any parish. In the XV century the church and the hamlet of Pianzo by Marquee Nicolò III d'Este in retaliation to the killing of one of his Vicars. In the XVI century there was a fight for the ownership of the church which led to a compromise with Pianzo "yearly alternating" being tied to the Bazzano Parish and then to the parish of Castelnovo ne' Monti. In 1620 the ordeal ended with the decision that it totally belonged to Reggio Emilia. Since 1811 the church of Pianzo is part of the Vicariate of Paullo.

Municipality:

CASINA
P.zza IV Novembre, 3, 42034 Casina (RE)
0522 604711, 0522 609464
casina@cert.provincia.re.it
www.comune.casina.re.it

Last update: December 12, 2023