SHARRYLAND
The Basilica of San Savino in Piacenza and its treasures
Discovering a beautiful Romanesque church with beautiful mosaics and a striking crypt
Where is
What is it and where is the basilica of San Savino
An elegant Baroque façade from the 1700s hides three much older interlaced decorated portals in its portico. They are the original entrances to one of the most beautiful Romanesque churches in Piacenza, and perhaps in northern Italy. The interior has been cleared of Baroque interventions, and shows its Romanesque nature in three naves with cross vaults, supported by marble pillars with splendid capitals decorated with fanciful vegetation, imaginary animals, and monstrous beings. Above the altar is a precious 12th-century Christ.
Why it is special: the mysterious mosaic
In the area before the altar there is a wonderful black-and-white floor mosaic that is difficult to interpret: on the left is evil accompanied above two warriors armed with spear and shield fighting each other and below dice players. On the right is good, above a ruler with the inscriptions Lex and Iudex, below two chess players representing compliance with the rules. In the middle is the time lord who makes a wheel move while men, dressed as acrobats, try in vain to stop it.
Not to be missed: the crypt
Not to be missed is the descent to the crypt, which holds other surprises: 18 columns with Romanesque capitals and another wonderful mosaic floor with illustrations of a frequent theme at the time, the months of the year with their zodiac signs. They stand out well among others-February preparing stakes for the vineyard, June mowing grass, July harvesting ears of corn from the tall stems, August repairing barrels, October sowing seeds, November cutting logs for the fireplace.
Fun fact: What was farming like in the Middle Ages?
In this regard, it is curious to know that these tiles tell us a great deal about agriculture in the Middle Ages. For example, the month of July is often depicted with reaping, but in certain regions threshing prevails, which took place either with a pair of horses trampling the ears of corn or with a then state-of-the-art tool such as the correggiato, consisting of two sticks tied with a leather rope, one short, the clapper, and one long, the handle. Harvesting with the sickle was also done differently: some people harvested wheat while standing, some while bending over, and some while almost kneeling, meaning that the varieties of wheat were different.
A bit of history
The church stands on an earlier very ancient house of worship and was consecrated in 1107. In the 1600s it was baroqued, like many Italian churches, to meet the dictates of the Council of Trent. In the early 20th century massive restoration works demolished the Baroque additions and restored the church to its primitive Romanesque appearance. To that renovation belong the floor and the entrance to the crypt.
Enter the Map of Italy's Undiscovered Wonders and find treasures where you least expect it... Inspire, Recommend, Share...
Contact
The Map thanks:
Enter the Map of Italy's Undiscovered Wonders and find treasures where you least expect it... Inspire, Recommend, Share...
Where is
Contact
