Not far from Pavullo, in the outlying hamlet of Renno, there stands a beautiful, medieval parish church full of history.
The church dates to the 8th and 9th centuries, and was originally built in the Byzantine style of Ravenna. Several of its original architectural elements, although perhaps not immediately noticeable, survive to this day, providing proof of its antiquity; these have survived despite various renovation works and modernisation projects which have taken place over the centuries.
It was originally built in the rather austere style typical of mountain parish churches, with a three-nave floor plan; a west-east orientation in line with liturgical canons; two small, splayed windows on the southern side to let in light; a single altar which the congregation would face; and a bell gable with two bells at the top of the façade.
Over time, however, the original Romanesque structure underwent several considerable changes.
Two side chapels were added in the 16th century: one on the right, for the burial of Count Cesare Montecuccoli following his death in 1506; and the other, on the left, dedicated to Our Lady of the Rosary, which was completed at the end of the 16th century. During the same period, following an outbreak of the plague, the altar of St. Roch was erected, with a painting depicting the Saints Roch, Sebastian and Peregrine.
Finally, major alterations were carried out in the 18th century, including the construction of the current bell tower (1673-1710), the painted panelled ceiling, Casalgrandi’s main altar made of scagliola (1784), the organ by Luigi Boselli (1871), and the entrance portal (1782).
The painting of St John the Baptist, to whom the parish church is dedicated, is one of several paintings to be seen inside the church.
The holy water font made of red marble, which is said to have been donated by Countess Anna Bigi, Raimondo Montecuccoli’s mother, is of particular value, as are the ancient Comacine rosettes, Christograms (monograms of Jesus Christ), and the tombstone of Count Cesare Montecuccoli (1506), the greatest feudal lord of Frignano.
Text: Alessio Bononcini
