Santuario di Santa Maria della Pieve

The sanctuary of Santa Maria della Pieve is a building that probably originated around the 11th-12th century, but was founded above or near a pagan temple dedicated to Mercury, dating back to the Roman Republican period.

The oldest findings in the area where the sanctuary is located date back to the Roman Republican period, when after 148 BC the Via Postumia was built, an important road that connected Genoa to the Adriatic. Here, a temple dedicated to Mercury likely stood, the remains of which are still visible at the sanctuary: a dedication to Mercury can indeed be seen embedded in the facade of the church.

The construction of the church occurred in two distinct phases: in an initial 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 now known as the "sanctuary of Santa Maria della Pieve" was erected.

The first document in which the church is mentioned dates back to 1145. It is a Bull issued by Eugene III to the Bishop of Verona, confirming "the pieve of Colognola with its chapels, SS. Fermo and Rustico, S. Vittore, S. Nicolò, S. Zeno".

In 1456, the Bishop of Verona Ermolao Barbaro noted that the church, dilapidated and insufficient to accommodate the faithful, did not meet the needs of the community, given its location in relation to the new inhabited center of the town. This consequently led to its transformation from a mother church to a simple chapel subject to the parish church of Saints Fermo and Rustico in Monte.

In the early years of the 20th century, there was a revival of the church, thanks to a benefactor, Basilio Turco. While still alive, he donated almost all of his assets for the material and spiritual revival of the place of worship, as reported by a plaque mounted outside the sacristy.

The exterior of the church presents a very simple structure, in Romanesque style. It is a low building, almost like a hut, devoid of decorative or liturgical elements except for the metal cross placed at the top. The Romanesque bell tower was renewed and reconstructed at the end of the 19th century.

The interior features three naves, a main altar, and two smaller 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 light. 

The walls are illuminated by frescoes that have been uncovered thanks to restoration work. The cycle of frescoes dates back to the late 13th century - mid-15th century and originally covered much of the internal walls of the building, as well as the pillars. Unfortunately, few remain today: various causes contributed over the centuries, but one of the main ones was the whitening of the walls following the plague of 1630, as ordered by the 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 on a throne with child, the mystical marriage of Saint Catherine, Saint James accompanied by another saint (probably Saint Benedict of Norcia or Saint Anthony the Abbot), a bishop saint, S. Zeno.

The main altar is the result of some modifications and restorations carried out during the 1700s, a period when 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, in particular since miraculous powers were attributed to her after 1836 when she was prayed to end the cholera epidemic.

Adjacent to the presbytery are two altars in Baroque style: to the left of Saint Joseph and to the right of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Both occupy the place of the small apses where the side naves ended.