Parish church of Santa Maria Assunta in Cellole

The Pieve di Santa Maria Assunta in Cellole, also known as Pieve di Cellole (parish church of Cellole), is located in the territory of San Gimignano, a short distance from the route of the Via Francigena.

Early documents about the historic site date it to the 11th century. The church underwent works between the 12th and 13th centuries until its consecration which took place in early-mid 1200. In this same period, according to some parchments preserved in the Siena Archives, the parish buildings took on the function of a leprosarium.

The church overlooks the hills surrounding San Gimignano. Its structure is typically Romanesque and it has a rectangular shape. Inside, three naves are divided by two rows of eleven columns that support the double round arches, and the back wall features a semicircular apse that's also visible from the outside.
In the building, you can admire the travertine baptismal font and the remains of some 14th-century frescoes.

The façade is almost hidden by a small and charming cypress grove that greets you upon your arrival to the parish church.

Attached to the church is the Monastero di Bose in Cellole which is part of the complex built around the original core of the building and which also includes an oratory and a courtyard enclosed on all sides.