Chiesa di Monte San Pietro

The first true written document about the history of the entire area, and in particular of Badia, is a foundation stone dating back to 1040. This certifies the construction, in 1040, of a monastery by the Bishop of Verona, Walterio da Ulma, on Mount San Pietro (mt. 675).

The building complex mainly consisted of the castle itself, which was also, for some time, the summer residence of the bishops of Verona, and the adjacent Church of San Pietro Apostolo, a sacred place for the inhabitants. It became home to German monks of the Order of Saint Benedict and transformed into the small monastery mentioned in a rental regulation document from 1133 and in a Papal Bull of Eugene III from 1145, where the “Monasterium Sancti Petri de Calavena” is clearly cited.

The Abbey was called “of Calavena” because it was built in the valley piece known as “Calavena.” The name of the underlying village (the current capital) derives from this “Badia della Calavena.”

Between the 14th and 15th centuries, the monastery of Calavena experienced a period of decline, which favored the Pieve of Tregnago, located in a more central position relative to the vast Benedictine domain. In 1381, towards the end of the Scaliger lordship, only the Church of San Pietro remained on the highest point of the hill.

In 1530, the building appeared dilapidated due to being struck by lightning, including the bell tower. It was nearing its thousandth anniversary when, in 1891, severely damaged by an earthquake, it was completely demolished and reconstructed.

This resulted in a new and modern Church, enlarged in width and height, with a superb bell tower adorned with Ghibelline merlons (1910).

The total reconstruction was authored by the architect priest Don Gianbattista Stizzoli, originally from the nearby district of Nicaloi. From then on, for a time (1940), it was officiated by the Priests of the Parish with the Sunday mass. Despite everything, the church of San Pietro remains the most cherished memory for all generations of the village due to its antiquity. As such, the Church and the adjacent spaces were restored again in the year 2000 by the volunteers of the Civil Protection Group of Badia Calavena.