Sant'Appiano: Parish Church, Antiquarium and Traces of Antiquity

Pieve di Sant'Appiano on the Cypress Hill

The Pieve di Sant'Appiano stands on a picturesque hill surrounded by tall cypress trees. Its history can be traced back to a document from the year 990. At the same time, the church preserves pre-Romanesque architectural elements, including parts of the left nave, the apse and the crypt. For planning your trip, this site combines the impact of a striking landscape with an unusually early historical trace. The year 990 marks the written reference; the pre-Romanesque parts belong to the surviving architecture.

Archaeology at the Pieve

The Pieve di Sant'Appiano houses the Sant'Appiano Antiquarium. It contains archaeological finds from Sant'Appiano, San Martino ai Colli and Semifonte, thereby extending the perspective beyond the individual church building.

The exhibits include Etruscan grave goods from tombs discovered in San Martino ai Colli. They date from the 7th to the 2nd century BC. A red-figure column krater from the 4th century BC provides another focal point within the archaeological presentation. Several centuries separate the grave goods from the krater. Those interested in Italy's ancient history encounter concrete objects from different periods here, rather than just a single historical date.

Special Pieces in the Antiquarium

Individual works also give the Antiquarium its distinctive character. The second room displays a sandstone sculpture of a putto riding a dog. It is joined by a Hellenistic alabaster urn with a relief depicting the Rape of Proserpina. Its lid is decorated with a semi-reclining male figure.

The only painting displayed in the Antiquarium is a panel depicting the Madonna and Child, John the Baptist, Saint Anthony of Padua and two angels. It was painted by the Maestro di Signa, an anonymous artist from the first half of the 15th century. Sant'Appiano thus places archaeological finds, medieval art and sacred architectural history directly at the heart of your cultural exploration. The motifs range from the putto on a dog to the Rape of Proserpina.

Historical Traces and Paths

The history of the Pieve also includes the ancient Baptistery of Sant'Appiano, which collapsed in 1805 as a result of an earthquake. Archaeological remains of an 8th-century BC complex were also discovered near the Pieve. These two testimonies add a striking watershed and an even older archaeological layer to the architectural history.

For combining culture and movement, the Pieve di Sant'Appiano is the first stop on the local route “Luoghi e storie dell’arte romanica: un viaggio tra pievi e chiese medievali”. The circular route “Anello di Sant'Appiano” also begins here. For planning your day, a tour and a circular route meet at the Pieve at the same starting point.

Further places for orientation: San Filippo A Ponzano, Marcialla, Vico D'elsa, Monsanto.

For the overview of the wider area: Barberino Val D'elsa.