Pieve di San Martino in Barisano

An important renovation brought to light the polychromatic floor mosaics of the VI Century, the crypt of the IX – X Century and the precious medieval frescos.

Address: Via Voltuzza, 6, 47122 Forlì (FC), Italia
Opening hours: Saturday(afternoon) and Sunday, call to plan your visit 338 6850780 (Maurizio)

Information:  Don Andrea Carubia 340 2767413, Don Massimo 338 4384651, Maurizio 338 6850780

Disabled: disabled access ramp

Accessibility

The Pieve is located in Barisano fraction, in Via Voltuzza, cross of Via Trentola when driving from Via Gorizia towards San Pietro in Trento.

Analytical text

The Pieve, original of the VI Century, probably used to rise on the ruins of a previous early Christian basilica. We can confirm this looking at the mosaic art decorations found on the floor, two meters under today’s floor level: plait edge with flowers and leaves patterns are lay decoration motifs.
After the Council of Trento, the structure of the Pieve was modified, knocking down the apse and reducing the space originally intended to the faithful, in order to obtain the pastor’s house.
In the 1930s, the parish priest, removing the plasterwork, discovered the traces of the arches and a mullioned window with two lights above the sacristy as well as some X Century frescos, portraying a chorus of Saints in Byzantine style, in his own badroom.
The Pieve, that later has been object of various publications, was submitted to an entire renovation only at the end of the XX Century and reopened in 2000. The archaeological excavation brough to light some finds and the crypt of the IX – X Century, while on the walls there were discovered some frescos among which the XIV Century "San Martino a cavallo che dona il mantello" (Saint Martin on a horse donating his mantle) and a fragment of the "Madonna con il Figlio" (Madonna with the Son).

News

The toponym Barisano reminds that these fields during the Roman empire used to be destined to the soldiers of the Class veterans at rest Roman platoon, as reward for the service answered. Thus on this ground first reared a basilica, lay place, for public assembly, which later became place of Christian cult, there is Pieve.