Pieve di Lesignano

The church of San Michele Arcangelo or Pieve di Lesignano de’ Bagni stands on one of the first hills that rise over the Val Parma. The first evidence of its existence is documented in the “Capitulum seu Rotolus Decimarum” of 1230, in which it is mentioned as “Plebs de Lixignano”.

The origins of its construction are not known with certainty while we know the date of its destruction, May 9, 1405, the day on which, according to the chronicles, was almost completely razed to the ground by Pietro da Vianino, knight of the Third, and his army.

In 1474 the parish church was rebuilt in a different way from the original one, however, preserving the precious side portal of the twelfth century (it is one of the few remaining traces of the original church), concluded by a lunette, in which is engraved a Greek cross in relief.

The facade has a rectangular shape in Romanesque-Gothic style and is covered with stone; the portal with lintel is located centrally to the building, surmounted by a mullioned window and flanked on both sides by high single-lancet windows with pointed arch.

To the left of the central window there is an oculus (perhaps the ancient rose window?), made of terracotta and plugged, discovered during the restoration of 1970, presumably belonging to the late medieval construction phase. Today’s building has a Latin cross plan and has three naves supported by stone columns (embedded in the wall) and a semicircular apse. The central nave is covered by barrel vaults and is separated from the side aisles by round arches.