History & Culture · Montefiesole · Pontassieve

The Pieve di San Lorenzo a Montefiesole: more than eight centuries of history in Pontassieve

Imagine travelling along a narrow hill road winding between historic olive groves and rows of vines. At the top, the view opens up to reveal the Pieve di San Lorenzo a Montefiesole: a true gem of Romanesque architecture, overlooking the Valdisieve landscape from above, the silent guardian of more than eight centuries of history.

The origins of the Pieve: from the 12th century to the present day

The earliest known documentary record dates from 1190, when the pieve already appears as a collegiate church in a deed of Andrea, Bishop of Florence; it is recorded as a pieve in a deed of 1461. Set in a strategic position on the hills of Pontassieve, the church belonged to the Bishop of Florence, who in the 12th and 13th centuries became the largest feudal landholder in the area, partly at the expense of the local nobility. Even after the 19th-century works that rebuilt the bell tower and the façade, and the last restoration in 1998, the church largely keeps its original Romanesque layout.

Architecture and art: the understated elegance of Tuscan Romanesque

The Pieve di San Lorenzo is an emblematic example of the minor religious architecture of the Florentine countryside. Outside, the most striking feature is the tower-like bell tower rising among the cypresses, rebuilt on a square plan in the 19th century in place of the old bell gable.

The interior reflects the typical canons of the Romanesque style: an austere, clean and intimate space, laid out in three naves and five bays divided by pillars, where the light filters softly. It is a place without pomp, meant for contemplation, able to convey the authentic atmosphere of the old rural churches of Tuscany.

How to reach the Pieve and when to visit

The Pieve di San Lorenzo is in the hill hamlet of Montefiesole, in the municipality of Pontassieve, about 25 kilometres east of Florence.

Its location makes it an ideal destination for guests of Agriturismo Tassinaia:

The very best time to plan your visit is at sunset. In those minutes the warm, golden evening light lights up the façade of the pieve and enhances the outline of the surrounding hills, offering an unforgettable sight of complete serenity.