The Pieve di Santa Maria a Corsano |
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The Romanesque
parish church of Santa Maria a Corsano
is located near the village of San Leo di Anghiar on the road between Sansepolcro
and
Arezzo. It is a 12 C church probably built by the Camaldulian Order on the foundations of a
Roman temple. The church is next to the old road between Anghiari and Citerna and near a spring at the top of
an ancient river bank. This is where the River Tiber used to flow before it
moved nearer to Sansepolcro in the remote past. The belfry is unusual in being positioned in the middle of the front façade instead of at the back, with the main church entrance going through its base. The interior is Renaissance with interesting decorations on the stone arches and pilasters. The 17 C main altar is decorated with a beautiful Madonna of the Milk, suggesting a connection between popular local beliefs and the spring in the grounds of the ancient temple. There is also a votive offering inside the church in the form of a fairly crudely painted fresco from the Renaissance era, with a readable inscription stating "Evangelista di Compagno had this picture made". Santa Maria a Corsano was confiscated by the State in 1866 and sold, together with its land. It has subsequently been re-opened for religious use and was restored but now shows signs of neglect. It is nevertheless a fine example of Romanesque architecture. |
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