Parish Church of San Pietro in Romena
A jewel of Romanesque architecture has stood for 900 years in Pratovecchio
The Parish Church of San Pietro in Romena is a jewel of Romanesque architecture enclosed, as if in a casket, in the green Casentino countryside. The building, dedicated to St. Peter the Apostle, is made entirely of stone and is considered by far among the most remarkable in the area.
Dating from 1152 and located about 3 kilometers from Pratovecchio, the Pieve di Romena has a simple ashlar facade on the outside, flanked by a quadrangular bell tower even older than the church itself. The interior, with three naves, is immediately striking for the finely decorated capitals that surmount the massive columns: we can admire human and animal figures, Christian symbols and geometric and plant elements. The side windows, placed asymmetrically, make for an intense play of light and shadow inside the church.
During floor restorations, the remains of an ancient building came to light, suggesting that Romena's religious complex was built on a pre-existing triapsidal church dating back to the 8th century. The ruins are visible today under the presbytery.
The parish church, in addition to constituting a valuable medieval architectural testimony in Casentino, has also become a destination for many visits over the years because of the religious spirit and recollection evoked by the place where, in 1991, the Fraternity of Romena was also founded.
