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Montedivalli
Parish Church of Sant'Andrea in Montedivalli
Towns and villages

Montedivalli

From the thousand-year-old necropolis to the marvelous Romanesque parish church

Montedivalli is a hamlet of the Municipality of Podenzana, famous for the production of Panigaccio, a Slow Food Presidium and typical dish of Lunigiana tradition, that develops on the southern ridge of Mount Castellaro. It is a "widespread" town, made up of the localities of Boschetto, Casa Borsi, Chiesa, Croce, Fogana, Genicciola, Pagliadiccio, Prati, Serralta and Vaggi.

The necropolis of Liguri Apuani

Precisely in this territory, the gateway to Val di Vara, there are evidences of the presence of mankind already in prehistoric times. In fact, in the locality of Genicciola, one of the most important archaeological discoveries of Historic Lunigiana took place in the 19th century and concerned a necropolis of the Liguri Apuani, a population who lived in those lands between the 3rd and 1st centuries BC. In Genicciola, dozens of box graves and numerous funerary objects, including some cinerary urns were found. Currently the findings are kept in the Museum of Castle of San Giorgio in La Spezia and in the Spallanzani Museum in Reggio Emilia.

Precisely in this territory, the gateway to Val di Vara, there are evidences of the presence of mankind already in prehistoric times. In fact, in the locality of Genicciola, one of the most important archaeological discoveries of Historic Lunigiana took place in the 19th century and concerned a necropolis of the Liguri Apuani, a population who lived in those lands between the 3rd and 1st centuries BC. In Genicciola, dozens of box graves and numerous funerary objects, including some cinerary urns were found. Currently the findings are kept in the Museum of Castle of San Giorgio in La Spezia and in the Spallanzani Museum in Reggio Emilia.

Parish Church of Sant'Andrea

The town of Montedivalli is famous above all for the majestic Parish Church of Sant'Andrea, a religious building re-opened to the public in 2011 after a careful restoration.

The first attestation of this place dates back to a certificate of 19 May 963, in which the emperor Otto I recognized to Adalberto, bishop of Luni, some ancient possessions including the "castrum sancti Andree", a defensive and military settlement which was previously located on the hill. In 1148, the Parish Church of Sant'Andrea was, for the first time, mentioned as a "parish church" in the papal privilege of Eugene III.

The parish building is one of the most interesting monuments in the whole Lunigiana: from the massive sandstone columns with phytomorphic and anthropomorphic Corinthian capitals (typical of the Romanesque style), to the beautiful apses made with squared sandstone blocks. On the facade you can see a mysterious figure, perhaps an abbot or more probably the Bishop Venanzio (Bishop of Luni in the 6th century) depicted with a tau crosier and a long cassock.

Inside the building, in addition to the baptismal font, which is the prerogative of ancient parish churches, three beautiful marble sculptures depicting Saint Peter, Madonna with child and Christ in mercy are preserved. These sculptures, probably created between the seventh and eighth decades of the 14th century by workers from Campione, are still today the object of a strong veneration by the local population.

The town of Montedivalli is famous above all for the majestic Parish Church of Sant'Andrea, a religious building re-opened to the public in 2011 after a careful restoration.

The first attestation of this place dates back to a certificate of 19 May 963, in which the emperor Otto I recognized to Adalberto, bishop of Luni, some ancient possessions including the "castrum sancti Andree", a defensive and military settlement which was previously located on the hill. In 1148, the Parish Church of Sant'Andrea was, for the first time, mentioned as a "parish church" in the papal privilege of Eugene III.

The parish building is one of the most interesting monuments in the whole Lunigiana: from the massive sandstone columns with phytomorphic and anthropomorphic Corinthian capitals (typical of the Romanesque style), to the beautiful apses made with squared sandstone blocks. On the facade you can see a mysterious figure, perhaps an abbot or more probably the Bishop Venanzio (Bishop of Luni in the 6th century) depicted with a tau crosier and a long cassock.

Inside the building, in addition to the baptismal font, which is the prerogative of ancient parish churches, three beautiful marble sculptures depicting Saint Peter, Madonna with child and Christ in mercy are preserved. These sculptures, probably created between the seventh and eighth decades of the 14th century by workers from Campione, are still today the object of a strong veneration by the local population.

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Lunigiana

Lunigiana
All the charm and nuances of a thousand-year-old land, borderline but with infinite nature
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Lunigiana
All the charm and nuances of a thousand-year-old land, borderline but with infinite nature
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