SHARRYLAND
The church of Polenta
The protagonist of an ode by Carducci, it is also known as Pieve di San Donato, where Dante and Francesca da Rimini may have prayed
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What is it and where is the Pieve di San Donato
High on a hill crowned with cypress trees is the Romanesque Pieve di Polenta. It is a harmonious basilica-shaped building with three naves ending in apses made of red bricks, alternating with gray chalkite blocks that form a beautiful color contrast. The interior is simple and austere: the naves are separated by masonry columns, so crooked that they look as if they are about to collapse. The capitals, on the other hand, are really distinctive, many decorated with a smooth, thick, richly interwoven different vine, high covered with a dense network of leaves; stylized faces are inserted in the corners. The marble high altar is Byzantine. Also beautiful is the crypt divided into three sets of vaults by simple columns with capitals similar to those in the church.
A bit of history
Its history is rather troubled, the first record dating back to 911; the layout that has come down to us was built between the 10th and 12th centuries but on an earlier building, founded in the Lombard era, as evidenced by the capitals and the dedication to St. Donatus, a saint venerated by the Lombards who had come up from Arezzo at that time, fighting against the Byzantines of Ravenna for the conquest of Romagna. A partial renovation was done in the eighteenth century, but by the nineteenth century it was so shabby that it was proposed for demolition; it was Aurelio Saffi, a deputy from Forlì, who saved it from that fate.
Why it is special: Giosuè Carducci and the church of Polenta.
Giosuè Carducci, who used to frequent the hills of Bertinoro and was in love with this church, wrote an Ode whose proceeds he earmarked for its restoration. In that ode he imagined Dante kneeling here to pray. The fact is not so improbable, since Dante was a guest in Ravenna of the da Polenta family, which was originally from this hamlet. It seems that here, in the fortress whose tower remains, Francesca, the protagonist of the Fifth Canto of Inferno, was born. Carducci also imagines her smiling and praying in the church. Thanks to Carducci's interest, the Italian state financed the restoration work.
Don't miss: Carducci, Dante and an enchanting view
Outside the church, we can see a bust of Carducci placed here around 1920. Along the walls we see a series of tombstones, quite recent, in fact dating back to the 1930s, they are the tombstones of many so-called Dante towns or of many Italian towns that wanted to honor Dante's memory in this way. There are, among others, the coats of arms of Florence, Ravenna, Forli, San Marino, and Rome. Before you leave, be sure to climb the Cypress Hill, the view will repay you for the short effort.
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