Church of Ss. Stefano and Martino

Explaination: This parish church dedicated to S. Stefano martyr and to S. Martino bishop, is situated in Via Costa Vecchia.The parish which exists today was formed by the union of two ancient churches near each other S. Martino of Gallisterna and S. Stefano of Paganico.The first church which dated back to the XII century ceased to exist in 1627, when its titles were transfered to S. Stefano. The first memories of this building go back in fact to 1419; in a place called Paganico and Paganego, near Gallisterna. The church kept the name Paganico until the XVI century when it started being called Costa. The church had a side nave with several altars called amongst others S. Antonio Abate (1508) and S. Maria di Mirolo (1513). The construction of the chapel dedicated to the Nativity of Mary shows how far the devotion to Mary goes back in this area, above the altar there is an image of Mary and Child, the bishop of Imola Ercolani ordered its restauration during a visit in 1574. In the XVI century the body of Christ altar was built (with a painting of Our Lord), while in 1657 three new works were produced of S. Martino (after the desruction of the church in his name), SS Annunziata and the Rosario. The largest altar was positioned under a painted faint and the whole church was covered in frescoes. The baptistry built in 1583 and destroyed in 1599, was rebuilt in 1627. The current church facing west was rebuilt in 1690, the chancel and presbytery which were widened and painted by Paolo Costa in 1906 under the orders of the high priest Bagnara, measure 23 X 6.80 metres and have five altars. The first on the right was dedicated to S. Filippo Neri in 1865, and has a picture in the Bologna school style, while the second is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin of the Rosary. A statue was erected in 1857 in this chapel of the Madonna of the Rosary by Domenico Utili a sculpture from Florence, this statue replaced a previous image made from a wooden skeleton filled with material with the head, feet and hands of both mother and child made from plaster. The altar of the B. Virgin is decorated with a number of pictures. The shelf and tabernacle of the largest altar are from S. Giuliano Church in Imola. The picture above the altar ids of the Martyr S. Stefano from the Bologna school. The fourth altar is dedicated to S. Martino, and to Ss. Antonio Abate and Antonio from Padova, while the fifth is dedicated to the Nativity and has a painting with gold frame The organ is by Abele Marenzi. The Costa Church was part of the Montemauro parish until 29 July 1791 when it was joined to the parish of Valsenio, it became home to the vicariate in 1792. In 1880 mons. Bagnara financed the building of the bell tower and three years later the four bells by Brighenti were hung in it. The church was badly damaged during the second world war and was restored afterwards.