Groppo is a small hamlet of Riolunato with unchanged charm and very interesting architecture.
If you are on holiday in the Apennines and want to discover a jewel of our territory, we absolutely recommend you pay a visit to Groppo di Riolunato.
The entrance to the village
How to get there
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You can get to Groppo by car by taking the road that leads to the Ponte della Luna and from there follow the signs that take you to the village after a few minutes.
History/h3>
Today we find hamlets like Groppo (and like many others in our Apennines) which have suffered the effect of depopulation over the years. In the past, however, they were places full of life, families and numerous inhabitants. Even in the 15th century Groppo was a municipality with its own statute. In the following centuries it then came under the control of the larger nearby municipalities such as Pievepelago and only in more recent history under Riolunato (recorded in an 1845 deed it was still part of the municipality of Pievepelago).
Today we find hamlets like Groppo (and like many others in our Apennines) which have suffered the effect of depopulation over the years. In the past, however, they were places full of life, families and numerous inhabitants. Even in the 15th century Groppo was a municipality with its own statute. In the following centuries it then came under the control of the larger nearby municipalities such as Pievepelago and only in more recent history under Riolunato (recorded in an 1845 deed it was still part of the municipality of Pievepelago).
For those who love to delve deeper into the history of our Apennines we recommend reading Frignano’s volumes and other publications dedicated to local history.
Groppo is worth a visit throughout the year but we particularly highlight the Christmas initiative in which Giancarlo Amidei’s stone nativity scene with the miniature of the town is displayed.
What to see
In this radiant town, located on the sunny side of the Riolunato valley, you can admire numerous buildings of interest.
The church of San Pietro
With the central structure of the building dating back to 1621, but the sandstone baptismal font from the end of the 1400s and a carved wooden pulpit from the mid-1500s, the church is still used to celebrate religious functions. During the Christmas period it hosts an interesting nativity scene.
The bell tower
It is located near the church and bears an inscription on the carved architrave of the door which mentions the surviving historic town of Flaminiatico, home to one of the main communities in the area and destroyed in the 1400s by war or natural events.
The Church of S. Francesca Saverio Cabrini of the Emigrants.
In October 2009, right in the hamlet of Groppo, the new church dedicated to Saint Francesca Saverio Cabrini, patron saint of emigrants, was inaugurated.
The designer in charge, the architect. Sergio Macchitelli made use of the collaboration of the architect already in the design phase. Giovanni Ronchi, the sculptor Davide Scarabelli and the liturgist Don Silvano Sirboni.
The building symbolizes a “sepulchre” which, through the resurrection, (symbolically represented by the octagonal pyramid) is shattered. Divine omnipotence therefore breaks the covering of the church. The symbolism of the octagon has always been used to recall “the eighth day”, the day of resurrection.
Villa Angelina (or Villa Tosi Bellucci)
In Groppo there is also a beautiful stately villa, Villa Angelina (or Villa Tosi Bellucci), on the history of which there is a video produced by Carlo Beneventi which you can find in Montecreto at the community museum.
