Santuario di Santa Maria della Pieve

The sanctuary of Santa Maria della Pieve is a Catholic place of worship located in the hamlet of Pieve in the municipality of Colognola ai Colli. It is an edifice that probably emerged around the 11th-12th century but was founded above or near a pagan temple dedicated to Mercury, dating back to the Roman republican era.

The oldest findings in the area where the sanctuary stands date back to the Roman republican era, when after 148 BC the Via Postumia was built, an important communication route connecting Genoa to the Adriatic. Here, a temple dedicated to Mercury most likely stood, and its traces are still visible at the sanctuary: one can indeed notice a dedication to Mercury embedded in the facade of the church.

The construction of the church took place in two distinct phases: in the first phase around the 5th century, the pagan temple of Mercury was replaced with a small chapel-oratory; subsequently, around the year 1000, the small oratory was demolished and the building that is now known as the "sanctuary of Santa Maria della Pieve" was erected. The first document that mentions the church dates back to 1145. It is a Bull issued by Eugene III to the bishop of Verona, confirming to him "the parish of Colognola with its chapels, SS. Fermo and Rustico, S. Vittore, S. Nicolò, S. Zeno." In the year 1162, the first parish priest was appointed. Towards the end of the Middle Ages, new jurisdictions were imposed, which also included new topographical delimitations of towns, lands, and even religious properties. The parish of S. Maria, which until that time had been considered the center of the territory of Colognola ai Colli, underwent the imposed provisions, and the religious and economic center shifted towards the parish of S. Fermo and Rustico.

The exterior of the church presents a very simple structure. It is a low building, almost gabled, lacking decorative or liturgical elements. The Romanesque bell tower was renovated and rebuilt at the end of the 19th century.

The interior features three naves, a main altar, and two side altars in Baroque style. The simple and sober style is also found inside the church, but one is immediately struck by the harmony created between spaces and lights. Since the structure of the church is quite low, natural lighting is scarce; only the altar is illuminated by lights and candles. Despite this, the walls are illuminated by frescoes that have been brought to light thanks to restoration work. The cycle of frescoes dates back to the end of the 13th century - mid-15th century and originally covered most of the internal walls of the building, in addition to the pillars. Unfortunately, only a few remain today: various causes over the centuries contributed to this, but one of the main reasons was the whitewashing of the walls following the plague of 1630, as ordered by the Most Serene Republic of Venice.
Among the frescoes discovered and still in good condition, one can recognize representations of: the Crucifixion of Christ, Christ of Lucca, and the Virgin enthroned with child, the mystical wedding of St. Catherine, St. James alongside another saint (likely St. Benedict of Nursia or St. Anthony the Abbot), a Saint bishop, St. Zeno.
The main altar is the result of several modifications and restorations carried out during the 18th century, a period in which the statue of the Madonna with Jesus in her lap was placed. The statue is framed by the painting of the Annunciation. The community is very devoted to the Madonna and to this image, particularly since miraculous powers were attributed to her after 1836, when she was prayed to in order to end the cholera epidemic.