CHURCH OF ST. BIAGIO

The oldest religious building in Cittiglio, another precious example of Romanesque architecture in the area, still tells its centuries-old history today

The original structure dates back to the Early Middle Ages and was likely a private chapel, later expanded over the centuries. The current building features a single nave, a simple gabled façade with a round-arched portal, a small single-lancet window with a stained-glass window, and an ancient Roman epigraph on the threshold. The bell tower, attached to the façade, features mullioned windows with small columns and a spire.

Over time, the church has undergone numerous transformations: in the 14th century, the nave was extended to incorporate the originally external funerary atrium, while in the 17th century, the building's orientation was even reversed, with the demolition of the apse and the construction of the new entrance on the opposite side.

Thanks to the restoration work started in the 1990s and promoted by the associationFriends of San Biagio, the interior of the church has been returned to its former splendor, after some twentieth-century alterations.

The hall is covered by an exposed wooden truss roof and preserves an eighteenth-century antependium, fragments of frescoes, and layered floors that tell a thousand years of history: from 1630 terracotta to 13th- and 11th-century mortar. Through glass panes, ancient footsteps and remains of the original church can be seen.

Between 2006 and 2020, archaeological excavations carried out inside and outside the building brought to light over 80 burials, two large ossuaries, and numerous finds.

The church of San Biagio can only be visited on certain occasions, generally during celebrations dedicated to the saint or during special openings to coincide with cultural and other events.