San Mauro Abate

Parish church of San Mauro.

Explaination: This church already existed in 1212. Its origins can probably be connected to the Camaldolesi monks who had a small monastery here between the 13th and 15th centuries, which were suppressed a first time in 1558, than again in 1569 and 1653, and finally under the dominion of Napoleon. In 1828 the church of S. Mauro was made free of collation and was knocked down in 1900. The church had beamed bodies, vaulted choir stalls with the façade facing east. It had a main door that opened onto the façade and a sidedoor. The apse and the side walls of the high altar contained frescoes of sacred images, whilst over the altar was a table depicting the Madonna with Child and Saints Benedetto, Romualdo, Mauro, Giovanni Evangelista and Mary Magdalene by the Faentine painter Giulio Tonduzzi (1568). The same artist took care of the decorations in the main chapel. During the second half of the 1500’s there were five altars, although reduced to two by 1612. The church also had a baptism font (right from the beginning) and abell gable with one bell. The construction of the new church of S. Mauro followed the design of the Faentine architect Domenico Magnani and the church was opened for worship on the 2nd September 1900. In neo-classical style, it measures 21.50×8.50 m, with round vault and has three altars and was decorated by the Bolognan professor A. Lazzari in 1907. The high altar is in marble with decorations by professor G. Merluzzi; the above mentioned table is hanging over the choir stalls behind the same altar. Thetwo side altars in special chapels are dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Madonna of Carmine. A wooden altarpiece was carved into this altar by Meluzzi with the souls of Purgatory (1920), whilst there is a statue of the Virgin Mary in a niche. In the other chapel, painted by Lazzari, there is a statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus placed in 1923, the work of the Tyrolese sculptor Giuseppe Rungaldier. The tribune was carved by Merluzzi. The new 23.50 m high bell tower was inaugurated on the 31st July 1902, built on the design of architect Magnani, whilst the rectory was rebuilt in 1904. The church was consecrated on the 27th October 1923.