"... La parvente e piccola parrocchia di Rivalto, fino allo scorcio del passato secolo XVIII, contava nel suo non lato recinto cinque sacri tempii"
("...The evident and small parish of Rivalto, until the end of the past century XVIII, counted in his side not fenced five sacred temples")
("...The evident and small parish of Rivalto, until the end of the past century XVIII, counted in his side not fenced five sacred temples")
So testifies in 1898 the parish priest Father Achille Costagli from Rivalto, priest literate, engaged in the social and cultural life and founder of the musical band of the village, in his "Memorie del Santuario di Poggiopiano - dedicato alla Santissima Vergine del Carmine presso il Castello di Rivalto" ("Memories of the Sanctuary of Poggiopiano - dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel at the Castle of Rivalto").
In these memories, Don Achille tells the story of the church institutions of the Rivalto's territory in a broader social-political picture of the Nation, with particular reference to the measures that sanctioned the State interference on the privileges of the Church, by implementing a series of confiscations and seizures of these properties. In particular, with the abolition of Companies and Brotherhoods, made by Pietro Leopoldo Grand Duke of Tuscany in 1785, the church property, with the exception of the parishes, were incorporated into the heritage of the state, at the expense of minor places (small oratories, chapels, churches, brotherhoods and companies). Further measures to undermine the territories of the Church followed by Napoleone Bonaparte and the Kingdom of Italy.Despite the vicissitudes suffered by these historical monuments over the centuries, the Churches of Rivalto still maintain the charm of simplicity and the atmosphere of the past, when the homilies and the choirs were recited in Latin, for ceremonies and solemn processions the altars were decked with flowers and candles or on Sunday, wearing "the good dress", a crowd of people went in church and, at the end of the celebration, they stayed in the square to talk.
Rivalto's people have always helped to maintain the decorum of the churches' premises and also today, that the village has suffered a drastic decline in population, still every morning, promptly at 7:00 AM, one of the older rivaltini opens the doors of the parish and then close them at sunset.
The Church of Saints Fabiano and Sebastiano
The parish church dedicated to the principal patrons of the castle of Rivalto, dates back to the XVII century and it is located in Piazza Beato Giordano.
Outside there are several commemorative plaques, including those dedicated to parish priests Don Achille Costagli and Don Giovanni Salvi, those in memory of the war dead and one that celebrates the centenary of the Philharmonic Body of Rivalto.
Although the building has undergone several renovations over the centuries, even after the damages suffered during the bombing of World War II, the present façade preserves the coat of arms of the noble Florentine family of Mazzinghi, which had properties in the area.
Originally, as evidenced by the shape of the arc on the side wall, the entrance was on the square.
On the right of the church stands the bell tower in brick, a symbol of Rivalto present in all the photographs. With its "tufts" of spontaneous grass from the cracks of the stone, it supervises the ancient tiled roofs of the village, by offering a safe haven to many pigeons. The bell tower still retains the original mullioned windows, a little above the arched windows with the bells that have always marked the rhythms of rural life of the hamlet. Originally, the tip of the tower was flat while today, after some reconstructions for the damages caused by lightnings, is shaped spire and houses a wooden clock and a cross with a lightning rod tip.
On the right of the church stands the bell tower in brick, a symbol of Rivalto present in all the photographs. With its "tufts" of spontaneous grass from the cracks of the stone, it supervises the ancient tiled roofs of the village, by offering a safe haven to many pigeons. The bell tower still retains the original mullioned windows, a little above the arched windows with the bells that have always marked the rhythms of rural life of the hamlet. Originally, the tip of the tower was flat while today, after some reconstructions for the damages caused by lightnings, is shaped spire and houses a wooden clock and a cross with a lightning rod tip.
The interior of the church, at the beginning at a single nave, was extended in the XVII century by annexing a side aisle, originally a cloister.
In the side chapel is located the altar of the Virgin Mary of the SS. Rosary with altarpiece of '600 -elegantly surrounded by 15 oil pictures representatives the mysteries of SS. Rosary- which in high relief in colorful stucco depicting the Madonna of the Rosary with the little baby, the Saints Domenico and Caterina and, kneeling, Beato Giordano, Dominican preacher of the XIII century, born in Rivalto. Under the altar, from the 1703, the urn of the tibia bone of Beato Giordano, sacred relic venerated since then.
Unlike the small churches, being this one the parish seat of the village, it did not suffer the devastation produced by the measure of Leopold, indeed, at that time, it was enriched with ornaments deprived from oratories minors . Over time, however, much of the original furnishings were lost.
Inside you can still appreciate two paintings of the XVII century of Sts Fabian and Sebastian and Our Lady of Sorrows, a marble stoup adapted from a baptismal font of the old church in La Pieve of Rivalto, some iron wrought chandeliers and the benches in solid wood that, as by custom of the small villages, still carry the name registration of benefactors families of the hamlet.
The monstrance of the church, with a dedication engraved and the coat of arms of the Grand Duchy, was donated in 1895 by Ferdinand IV of Lorraine, the last Grand Duke of Tuscany (1835-1908), to Don Achille Costagli.
In the side chapel is located the altar of the Virgin Mary of the SS. Rosary with altarpiece of '600 -elegantly surrounded by 15 oil pictures representatives the mysteries of SS. Rosary- which in high relief in colorful stucco depicting the Madonna of the Rosary with the little baby, the Saints Domenico and Caterina and, kneeling, Beato Giordano, Dominican preacher of the XIII century, born in Rivalto. Under the altar, from the 1703, the urn of the tibia bone of Beato Giordano, sacred relic venerated since then.
Unlike the small churches, being this one the parish seat of the village, it did not suffer the devastation produced by the measure of Leopold, indeed, at that time, it was enriched with ornaments deprived from oratories minors . Over time, however, much of the original furnishings were lost.
Inside you can still appreciate two paintings of the XVII century of Sts Fabian and Sebastian and Our Lady of Sorrows, a marble stoup adapted from a baptismal font of the old church in La Pieve of Rivalto, some iron wrought chandeliers and the benches in solid wood that, as by custom of the small villages, still carry the name registration of benefactors families of the hamlet.
The monstrance of the church, with a dedication engraved and the coat of arms of the Grand Duchy, was donated in 1895 by Ferdinand IV of Lorraine, the last Grand Duke of Tuscany (1835-1908), to Don Achille Costagli.
The Sanctuary of the Madonna del Carmine di Rivalto
The Sanctuary of the Madonna del Carmine di Rivalto is situated in the wooded hills of Poggiopiano where, originally, there was a small shrine with painted the image of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Carmine to whom the community of Castle Rivalto was devoted.Here, in the XVII century, It was built a chapel in which was exposed the image of the Virgin of Carmine, attributed to the Florentine painter Carlo Dolci (1616-1686). Following the decree Leopoldino on 1785 by order of Bishop Bonamici of Volterra, the then parish priest Francesco Graziani moved, on the August 15, 1788, the sacred picture from the Sanctuary of La Madonna to the parish church of Rivalto, with not little resentment of the local population that, in short, abandoned the pilgrimages and the Marian devotion at the Oratory of Poggiopiano, now desecrated.
It was only in 1827, under the urging of the then priest Giuseppe Passeri, that the diocese of Volterra agreed to the rebuilding of a place of worship and prayer in Poggiopiano, finally reopened in 1832. In 1850 it was granted here the translation of the image, previously transferred to the parish church.
Today the church of Our Lady of Rivalto is still in all its understated simplicity and Poggiopiano offers views and naturalistic trails that visitors can not miss.
The Oratory of the Compagnia and the Holy Cross
Dedicated to the Holy Crucifix, it is a chapel with a single nave dating from the XVII century which is located in the central Piazza della Compagnia, today Piazza Antonio Gramsci.
Within the same you can appreciate a painting of Our Lady of Sorrows and St. Giovanni of the XVII century, a masonry altar, the mosaic decorations on the higher end of the walls and on the opposite wall, a wooden elevated choir. The Church, since its central location, is still in use today, although used only on special occasions.In 1789 it suffered the effects of the Leopoldini measures as following extract from the letter of the Bishop of Volterra Bonamici, addressed to the parson Graziani to require the immediate closure of it: "The Oratory of the Company abolished the SS. Sacrament is kept only for the needs that it can give to the parish church. The government's intention is that in similar places preserved for the aforesaid reason no functions are celebrated except ones when the parish is prevented...".
In the body of the letter also he gave order to transfer the Holy Crucifix in the parish church, at night and without involvement of the population.
The Oratory of Saint Biagio
The small Oratory of St. Biagio (St. Blaise, Bishop, martyr, beheaded in 316), to which was attached a priestly house and a plot of land with vines and chestnut trees, was in area I Poggi of Rivalto, between two rivers, the Rio Maggiore and the creek La Fine.
From the archives of bishops of Volterra, it dates back to 1147 the donation of the property to the Bishopric and to the Church of Volterra with the then Bishop Adimari Oldimario: "The Count of Lutterio of the was Count Ranieri and his wife Adalgisa of the was Count Ugone offer to the bishop Oldimario their integer part of the hill which is called Rocha Sancti Blasii from top to bottom with the church dedicated to St. Biagio and its surroundings up to the stream called La Fine. Their part is equal to half of that fortress church and its surroundings within their borders, price eight libre of Lucca".
According to "Le Comunità di Chianni e di Rivalto sec. XI-XIX" by Lucia Fabbri, here in 1576 led a hermit's life but also dishonest and profligate such Bartolo of Montecchio that one day, during an intense downpour, raped a poor woman who was seeking refuge.
As a result of the measures on church property, it was tried first to put at auction, then to sell, later to demolish St. Biagio and, finally, it was desecrated with the removal of St. Crucifix and the extraction of the sacaral stone, made in 1783 by the parish priest Graziani on the disposal of the Bishop of Volterra. This led to the abandonment of the faithful of what, until then, had been a place of worship and meeting that ended early in a state of neglect.
At the time when it was still in use, on February 3, the day of San Biagio, was held here a procession in which the priest dispensed small bread of wheat blessed.
To date, along the naturalistic trails of I Poggi, you can view only some ruins.
The old parish of Rivalto (Santa Maria di Castelvecchio at La Pieve)With cemetery, houses and lands annexes, it was dedicated to Maria Santissima Assunta in Cielo (Our Lady Assumed into Heaven) and located in the small village of La Pieve.
Also known as Santa Maria di Castelvecchio (Saint Mary of Old Castle), it was the first parish of the ancient Castle of Rivalto, from archeological data already present at the beginning of the first millennium.
The headquarters of the early church was moved to the Church of Saints Fabian and Sebastian at the castle of Rivalto around 1356, although it was enjoined to the rector pro tempore the duty to celebrate here twice a month. In 1787, always at the time of the priest Graziani, the "old church" suffered, like other minor churches under the measures in place, desecration, sale and demolition.
A wrought iron cross testifies today the area where once stood the ancient church.