Pieve Romanica of San Pietro in Messa

The birth of the Pieve di San Pietro in Ponte Messa di Pennabilli dates back to the 12th century, but some documents testify to its existence as early as 912. In ancient times there was a small Roman settlement (the base of the present altar is clearly a Roman stone). The Roman village of the Mass was a strategic point of the viability in the valley, since from here the nearby bridge over the river was controlled, which then gave its name to the current village and to the Church. Tradition has it that the Roman village was destroyed during the Gothic war of 500 AD. With the arrival of the Lombards, the Pieve of the Mass remained the main church of the district. It is impossible to establish how many times it was rebuilt during the early Middle Ages. Only the facade has survived wars, earthquakes and bad weather for eight centuries. The archivolt rests on two rectangular slabs, under which two massive stone shelves protrude, carved by symbolic figurations. The restorations we see today date back to the last post-war period.