Faltona – Parish Church, History and Historic Routes

Faltona can be explored through the history of its churches and routes. The Pieve di Santa Felicita is a specific point of reference for historical records from different centuries; roads and a cycling route place the town’s name along different route itineraries. When choosing your destination, you can therefore weigh whether you are more interested in architectural and church history or in historic and documented routes.

Pieve di Santa Felicita: History and Architectural Features

The Pieve di Santa Felicita in Faltona has been documented under the place name Larciano since 1016. A community of canons is recorded at the Pieve in 1305, including Neri, the brother of Sant’Andrea Corsini. A tall bell tower dating from the 12th century is attached to the church. These details connect place names, community and architecture without limiting the history to a single period.

Details of the church also reveal different historical layers. On the left side of the façade is the Oratorio della Compagnia della SS. Annunziata, built or renovated in 1730. A stained-glass window depicting Santa Felicita and her seven children was once in the right-hand chapel of the SS. Annunziata; the window is no longer there. These details concern different parts of the Pieve and should not be conflated into a single building or art history.

The Rosary Chapel of the Pieve di Santa Felicita in Larciano, Faltona, contains ceramics. They are part of a municipal Liberty-style art trail. Keep in mind that some of the marked sites are not always open to visitors. If you want to include the chapel in your plans, check in advance whether it is open. This makes the ceramics a specific point of artistic interest without assuming that a visit is possible at any time.

Artistic Connections and Archaeological History

There is also a connection to the art history of the Pieve in the area around Faltona: the Museo d’Arte Sacra Beato Angelico houses a stained-glass window from the mid-15th century. It was originally installed in a window in the apse area of the Pieve di Faltona. The way the work is displayed may change. For your purposes, its provenance is particularly interesting: the window connects a nearby collection with its original location in the church.

Another historical period takes us to La Ruzza in the Faltona valley. Finds of Neolithic material were reported there as early as 1929. In addition, a decree dated November 28, 2007, designates an area in the village of Faltona, in the municipality of Borgo San Lorenzo, as an area of archaeological interest under Article 142, letter m, of Legislative Decree 42/2004. The find report and the protection designation have different dates and describe different kinds of archaeological significance.

Historic Roads and Cycling Route

During the Roman Republic, a road crossed the valley of the Torrente Faltona, connecting Faventia (Faenza) with Florentia and Faesulae. This is a historic route connection. The Via Faentina offers another point of reference: on its descent towards Mugello, it passes through Faltona and by the Romanesque Pieve di Santa Felicita. An ancient connection between three places and a named route through Faltona thus sit alongside each other; they belong to different historical and geographical descriptions.

For cyclists, the “Vetta Le Croci (Olmo)” route is another specific option. Its described itinerary continues from Serravalle to Faltona and then on to Polcanto. Faltona is an intermediate point between the two named places. Together with the Via Faentina, this offers a different perspective on the area’s connections than the church history: here, the focus is on the route and the order of places, not on the architectural history of the Pieve.

If you are comparing Faltona as a destination, these areas of interest can guide your plans: the Pieve offers several connections to art and church history, while the historic Roman road and named routes place the town within broader itineraries. If you plan to visit the chapel, it is advisable to check in advance whether it is open; the route itself can be understood by following the places named and their order.

Discover more destinations: Grezzano, Ronta, Sagginale, Luco Mugello, Gricignano

Return to the main travel overview: Borgo San Lorenzo.