Background History
Lucignano d'Arbia, a medieval fraction of Monteroni municipality and a very important farm of the ancient Senese republic, it still presents nowadays part of the originals circular city walls, with two doors overhanged by towers.
La Pieve di Lucignano
The Pieve di San Giovanni Battista is located in the medieval village of Lucignano d'Arbia. Lucignano's village was raised for defence purposes, as suggested by the the two doors with the tower, to the north and to the south of the city, and the tower that today is the bell tower of the pieve. It is alligned to the central axes that develops itself on the ancient Via Cassia, then became Via del Castello when Via Cassia was diverted. La pieve di San Giovanni Battista, as it was renamed in the 13th century, it has a romanesque plant and it has a covering made with arches and building blocks, on which the beams rest.
Before its dedication to San Giovanni Battista it was dedicated to Santa Cristina, and there are historical records since the 10th century. Given back the originals romanesque traits, it presents itself with an only aisle which it ends with a semicirculare apse. The three transversal arches of the aisle are set on semipillars, and they support the wood cover of the aisle. On the right side the tower leans on, whose mighty size shows a more ancient origin than both the church and the light gothic stile small steeple. The front is revived by the two-coloured portal's arch, topped by a small eye.
In the inside, in proximity of the entrance and next of the left wall, there is a baptismal font made in marble, dating back to the XVII century on which stands a polychrome statue of San Giovanni Battista carved in wood, which can also be related to the XVII century; on its base are visible both the date 1666 and the arciduca Petrucci's crest, which is present also in the marmoured stem on the font.
On the church's walls you can see several works, on the right there is a remarkable oil painted board of the 16th century, depicting Jesus on the cross surrounded by the Saints by Bartolomeo Neroni, named Il Ricci. On the left wall there is the Madonna del Rosario's altar, surmounted by an oil painted canvas belonging to the 16th century and attribuited to V. Salimbeni, depicting S. Maria Maddalena, S. Rocco and S. Francesco adoring the cross.
On the major altar it is possible to admire a carved in wood crucifix made by an unnamed in the 18th century.
Neighbourhood
The Lucignano village, surrounded by the Crete Senesi, is at only 18 km from Siena's centre, Palio's city, full of art, history and traditions, and at only few km from the main amenities of Siena's country, such as Buonconvento, one the most beautiful village in Italy, renowned fot its architectural structure and its religious art museum in Val d'arbia and the one of the Mezzadria. Montalcino can be reached going through 25 km, which has became very much populare since the early 1800s for its procution of the award-winning wine Brunello, one of the most appreciated wine in the world.
At only 45 km from Lucignano's village there is Pienza; a small village on the South of Toscana, in the famous Val d'Orcia. Famous for its high-value production of cheese, Pienza was in fact named as "la città del cacio" (tr. city's cheese) for its Pienza's Pecorino, which is worldwide known for its peculiarity. Instead San Giminiano is at 62 km, a medieval city from the 3rd century after Christ, declared a Unesco world heritage, known fot its architectural beauty includind its towers, and nearby the necropolis of Cellole and the nature reserve of Castelvecchio. The Lucignano's village is on the ancient Via Francigena, since the first millennium was already a main hub between the streets that lead the pilgrims in spiritual trips throuch the holy sites: Santiago de Compostela, Roma and Gerusalemme.
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