Pieve di Santa Maria - Cortemilia
Cortemilia, città dell'Alta Langa famosa per i suoi noccioleti, conserva diversi gioieli architettonici tra i quali ben figura la Pieve di Santa Maria.
Questa antica chiesa, anche conosciuta con il nome di Madonna della pieve, si trova ai piedi della collina di Monteoliveto, circondata dalla quiete degli ulivi e dei vigneti.
La Pieve di Santa Maria è un edificio di origine romanica, datato tra il XII e il XIII secolo.
Secondo la tradizione qui nel 1213 vi sostò San Francesco di passaggio lungo la Magistra Langarum, che collegava Savona ad Asti.
Ritrutturata tra il Seicento ed il Settecento, vide in quel periodo l'eliminazione di una navata e la sopraelevazione dell'abside.
La Pieve, costruita in pietra arenaria locale, presenta diversi tratti interessanti dell'architettura romanica come l'abside ornato di archetti pensili e di sculture ed il campanile, una torre quadrata suddivisa in cinque livelli da ordini di archetti pensili ciechi e monofore.
L'abside, esposta ad est, ha una forma semicircolare ed è imprziosita da archetti ciechi sostenuti da mensole che riportano motivi zoomorfi, fitomorfi e figurati come palmette e sirene, figure simboliche del cristianesimo alto medioevale purtroppo erose dal passare del tempo.
La facciata presenta elementi architettonici di epoche diverse come la bifora ogivale gotica dotata di strombatura e capitelli decorati con motivi vegetali, rosette, tralci e palmette. Al di sopra del portale è posta una lunetta con il simbolo solare della ruota a sei raggi ed un altorilievo del 1585 in marmo bianco raffigurante la Madonna della Misericordia, apparsa al pastore Antonio Botta nel 1536.
Sul lato sinistro del portale è presente una figura umana in cattivo stato di conservazione raffigurante probabilmente un monaco, mentre sotto lo sbalzo del tetto alcune tracce fanno pensare al fatto che la facciata in origine fosse interamente affrescata.
L’interno della Pieve di Santa Maria è a navata unica, privo di arredi e trasformato nel corso dei secoli.
Vi è conservato, però, un bassorilievo in pietra arenaria, appartenente probabilmente ad un ciborio di altare, scoperto durante gli scavi del 1942.
Il bassorilievo a forma di edicola cuspidata raffigura la Vergine in Trono con Bambino ed è presumibilmente di epoca pre-romanica con influssi dell’estetica bizantina.
La Madonna, posta in posizione frontale, ieratica e rigida, è incoronata con bande laterali e tiene in una mano un giglio, simbolo di castità e purezza, mentre con l'altra indica Gesù, colui che occorre adorare.
Accanto a lei sono posti l'Arcangelo Michele ed una figura ormai indecifrabile che potrebbe essere la Vergine stesso, mentre ai lati più esterni ci sono due monaci con in mano la corda di una campana od un lume.
La parte superiore è decorata con diversi simboli astronomici come il sole e le stelle a dodici punte a cui si aggiunge la croce greca pediculata, simbolo della Terra.
Al vertice è posta una formella triangolare che riporta la mano destra di Dio nell'atto di benedire con le tre dita alzate.
Alcune tracce di color portora fanno presupporre che un tempo quest'opera fosse colorata.
Secondo le narrazioni rappresentative bizantine questo bassorilievo potrebbe raffigurare l’Annunciazione e la la presentazione di Gesù al tempio.
La Pieve di Santa Maria si integra perfettamente con il Monteoliveto ed un sentiero lastricato che parte dall'edificio religioso si sviluppa a spirale attorno alla collina giungendo fino alla sommità che offre un punto di vista eccezionale da cui ammirare Cortemilia e la valle.
Pieve of Santa Maria - Cortemilia
Cortemilia, city in the Alta Langa famouses for its hazelnut groves, preserves several architectural gems, among which the Pieve of Santa Maria.
This ancient church, also known by the name of "Madonna della pieve", is located at the foot of the Monteoliveto hill, surrounded by the quiet of olive trees and vineyards.
The Pieve of Santa Maria is a building of Romanesque origin, dated between the twelfth and the thirteenth century.
According to the tradition, in 1213 Saint Francesco stayed here, while his travel along the Magistra Langarum, which connected Savona to Asti.
Renovated between the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, it saw in that period the elimination of a nave and the raising of the apse.
The Pieve, built in local sandstone, has several interesting features of Romanesque architecture such as the apse, adorned with hanging arches and sculptures, and the bell tower, a square tower divided into five levels by orders of blind and single-lancet hanging arches.
The apse, facing east, has a semicircular shape and is embellished with blind arches supported by shelves that show zoomorphic, phytomorphic and figured motifs such as palmettes and sirens, symbolic figures of early medieval Christianity unfortunately eroded by the passage of time.
The facade features architectural elements from different eras such as the Gothic double lancet window with splay and capitals decorated with plant motifs, rosettes, branches and palmettes. Above the portal there is a lunette with the solar symbol of the six-spoke wheel and a high relief dated 1585 in white marble depicting the Madonna della Misericordia, which appeared to the pastor Antonio Botta in 1536.
On the left side of the portal there is a human figure in a bad state of conservation probably depicting a monk, while under the overhang of the roof some traces suggest that the facade was originally entirely frescoed.
The interior of the Pieve of Santa Maria has a single nave, without furniture and transformed over the centuries.
There is, however, a sandstone bas-relief, probably belonging to an altar ciborium, discovered during the excavations in 1942.
The bas-relief in the shape of a cuspidate shrine depicts the Virgin Enthroned with Child and is presumably from the pre-Romanesque period with influences from the Byzantine aesthetic.
The Madonna, placed in a frontal position, hieratic and rigid, is crowned with lateral bands and holds in one hand a lily, symbol of chastity and purity, while with the other she indicates Jesus, the only one who must be worshiped.
Next to her there are the Archangel Michael and a figure now indecipherable that could be the Virgin herself, while on the outermost sides there are two monks holding the rope of a bell or a lamp.
The upper part is decorated with various astronomical symbols such as the sun and the twelve-pointed stars to which is added the Greek pediculated cross, symbol of the Earth.
At the top there is a triangular tile that brings back the right hand of God in the act of blessing with the three raised fingers.
Some traces of portora color suggest that this masterpiece was once colorful.
According to Byzantine representative narratives this bas-relief could depict the Annunciation and the presentation of Jesus in the temple.
The Pieve of Santa Maria is perfectly integrated with the Monteoliveto and a paved path starts from the religious building developings in spiral around the hill reaching the top which offers an exceptional point of view to admire Cortemilia and the valley.
Cortemilia, city in the Alta Langa famouses for its hazelnut groves, preserves several architectural gems, among which the Pieve of Santa Maria.
This ancient church, also known by the name of "Madonna della pieve", is located at the foot of the Monteoliveto hill, surrounded by the quiet of olive trees and vineyards.
The Pieve of Santa Maria is a building of Romanesque origin, dated between the twelfth and the thirteenth century.
According to the tradition, in 1213 Saint Francesco stayed here, while his travel along the Magistra Langarum, which connected Savona to Asti.
Renovated between the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, it saw in that period the elimination of a nave and the raising of the apse.
The Pieve, built in local sandstone, has several interesting features of Romanesque architecture such as the apse, adorned with hanging arches and sculptures, and the bell tower, a square tower divided into five levels by orders of blind and single-lancet hanging arches.
The apse, facing east, has a semicircular shape and is embellished with blind arches supported by shelves that show zoomorphic, phytomorphic and figured motifs such as palmettes and sirens, symbolic figures of early medieval Christianity unfortunately eroded by the passage of time.
The facade features architectural elements from different eras such as the Gothic double lancet window with splay and capitals decorated with plant motifs, rosettes, branches and palmettes. Above the portal there is a lunette with the solar symbol of the six-spoke wheel and a high relief dated 1585 in white marble depicting the Madonna della Misericordia, which appeared to the pastor Antonio Botta in 1536.
On the left side of the portal there is a human figure in a bad state of conservation probably depicting a monk, while under the overhang of the roof some traces suggest that the facade was originally entirely frescoed.
The interior of the Pieve of Santa Maria has a single nave, without furniture and transformed over the centuries.
There is, however, a sandstone bas-relief, probably belonging to an altar ciborium, discovered during the excavations in 1942.
The bas-relief in the shape of a cuspidate shrine depicts the Virgin Enthroned with Child and is presumably from the pre-Romanesque period with influences from the Byzantine aesthetic.
The Madonna, placed in a frontal position, hieratic and rigid, is crowned with lateral bands and holds in one hand a lily, symbol of chastity and purity, while with the other she indicates Jesus, the only one who must be worshiped.
Next to her there are the Archangel Michael and a figure now indecipherable that could be the Virgin herself, while on the outermost sides there are two monks holding the rope of a bell or a lamp.
The upper part is decorated with various astronomical symbols such as the sun and the twelve-pointed stars to which is added the Greek pediculated cross, symbol of the Earth.
At the top there is a triangular tile that brings back the right hand of God in the act of blessing with the three raised fingers.
Some traces of portora color suggest that this masterpiece was once colorful.
According to Byzantine representative narratives this bas-relief could depict the Annunciation and the presentation of Jesus in the temple.
The Pieve of Santa Maria is perfectly integrated with the Monteoliveto and a paved path starts from the religious building developings in spiral around the hill reaching the top which offers an exceptional point of view to admire Cortemilia and the valley.
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