La Villa: Tower House, Church Art and Pilgrimage History

La Villa is a small settlement near the remains of the ancient church of Monte San Giovanni. La Villa is home to a 14th-century tower house; nearby, you will also find a parish church with notable furnishings and historic sites connected with pilgrimage. For planning your trip, you can explore the themes of architectural history, sacred art and landscape separately. This will give you a concrete sense of the historical and landscape features that shape the village and its surroundings.

Tower House and Historical Layers

The tower house combines a clear historical context with a striking architectural description: its façade displays a wide variety of building forms. Nearby are the remains of the ancient church of Monte San Giovanni. The area therefore brings together two distinct historical periods: the medieval tower house and the ancient church ruins. This distinction offers an introduction to La Villa’s architectural history, with the tower house and church ruins standing alongside one another as different historical reference points.

Church Art in the Surrounding Area

The parish church of San Giovanni Battista is located near La Villa. Its furnishings include an altar of carved and gilded wood and a remarkable apse complex. There is also a functioning organ, attributed to a member of the Cipri family and dating from the 16th to 17th centuries. The church also preserves works of art transferred from a religious building that preceded it in 1300. The furnishings and church history at this site thus span several centuries. If you are interested in sacred art, the church offers several distinct points of interest: the altar, the apse complex, the organ and the preserved works of art.

Pilgrimage History and Badlands

Another focus is the history of welcoming pilgrims and travellers. In the 16th century, the Ospitale was founded nearby as a place where pilgrims and travellers could find shelter and rest. It stands in front of a striking Badlands landscape, on a small hill crowned with cypress trees. Here, a historical purpose meets a distinctive landscape setting. The Abbey of Saints Fabiano and Sebastiano is a separate site: built in the 12th century, it provided accommodation for pilgrims travelling to Rome. The two places represent different periods and distinct connections to travel. For visits to the abbey, contact the municipal library; check the current visiting arrangements with the library in advance.

Landscape and Regional Context

The landscape features can also be considered separately. Near La Villa, the Sentiero 07 hiking trail offers views of the Badlands of Monte San Michele. Monte San Giovanni, in turn, is surrounded by hills, forests and vineyards. Thus, a named viewpoint along the trail and the broader landscape around Monte San Giovanni offer two distinct perspectives. The Via dei Brentatori, an ancient wine route, also runs through the wider region. Since its creation in the mid-13th century, it has served to transport wine and must safely from the surrounding area to the city of Bologna. This regional connection adds a distinct perspective on wine transport and historic routes to the history of the village.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Monteduro, Praticello, Massenzatico, Castelnovo Di Sotto, Cerreto Laghi, Correggio, Castellarano, Cadelbosco Di Sopra.

Go to the main travel overview: Reggio Emilia.