Parish Church of San Giovanni Battista in San Gervasio

Before the San Giovanni Battista Parish Church in San Gervasio in Palaia was built, during the early middle ages another building existed in its place as part of the dioceses of Lucca. However, the only surviving signs of this time are the Lombardic-style capitals on the existing church columns. Today the church, built near the defensive wall of an 11th century castle, has a basic layout with typical Romanesque features, although due to the limited space dictated by the nearby castle walls, does not orient toward the cardinal points.

The building befell much damage over the subsequent centuries resulting in a disfigured front and partial loss of both the smaller right nave and the belfry. The brick bell tower, together with the walls of the church and it’s interior paved with terracotta brick, was built in the 17th century. The west-facing façade was built in the 15th century while the wood truss roofing was built in the 16th century. Restoration work on the building was completed in 1999, rejuvenating the apsal structure and recovering the internal chapel.