HISTORY

 

 

 

 

There is little left today of the Romanesque church and pilgrims' hospice dedicated to St John the Baptist (San Giovanni Battista) which was built on this spot, perhaps before the year 1000: only a couple of little windows framed by obliquely cut stone, and one small side door. But the Pieve di San Giovanni oozes history from every corner. At a crossroads between two pilgrim routes, this was a popular stopover, the hospice giving succour and shelter to the poor traveller. But standing where three parishes met, the Pieve was fought over too, until eventually its strategic importance waned and the buildings were allowed to crumble, only to be incorporated later into farm buildings.