Church of San Michele in Castiglione di Garfagnana
An ancient building with a distinctive late gothic façade
The existence of Castiglione was recorded in the Early Middle Ages, but the first mention of the Church of San Michele dates to the 12th century. The building was built near the Lucchese castle in Castiglione di Garfagnana following a growth in political importance and population in the village.
The structure we see today dates to this period, with a Latin-cross plan, single nave and semi-circular apse. The façade vaunts a dual-colour decoration due to the use of gray stone and red marble. On the entrance portal, in addition to the colours of the building material, you can see corbels and an archivolt with plant motifs, decorations that are also on the north portal.
In the modern era, the building was adapted to the new aesthetic and liturgical canons of the day, which included creating three large, quadrangular windows on the sides of the church, the reconstruction of the polygonal apse and the construction of new altars and the sacristy.
The most important changes date to the 1700s, when a porch portal was added to the façade, supported by two Neoclassical columns in the Corinthian style.
The interior houses some valuable works, including a Madonna and Child by Giuliano di Simone da Lucca from 1389 and a marble ciborium, attributed to the school of Matteo Civitali. Also interesting is the wooden crucifix next to the main altar: according to tradition, it comes from the ancient church of San Cristoforo di Verrucchia, a small castle once located near Castiglione and that was destroyed in the 14th century.
