In the Modena Apennines, human activity has always been harmoniously integrated into the surrounding landscape: cultivated fields, pastures, beech forests, chestnut groves, streams, lakes, rugged gullies and high peaks represent a fascinating setting, in which millennia-old fortified villages, imposing castles and austere parish churches are set.
Suitable especially for lovers of sacred art, this unusual itinerary invites you to reflect on the high symbolic value attributed to sacred images in the Frignano area.
Imbued with an intense spirituality, the stones of the many houses of worship nestled in the nature of the Apennines testify to the faith and fortitude of the people of the area, hard hit over the centuries by infighting, famine and epidemics.
Observing the remarkable fifteenth- and sixteenth-century frescoes that enrich the walls of medieval churches and isolated oratories, therefore, takes on a new meaning: looking to invoke a grace and blessing, looking to entrust oneself, looking to be guided in prayer...looking to believe.
Please note: For safety and conservation reasons, the destinations proposed below tend to be accessible only seasonally or by prior reservation. Therefore, before heading to them, ask for information from the contacts listed in the footnotes.
A few kilometers from Montese, our itinerary begins with a visit to two nearby oratories, originally part of citadels long disputed because of their crucial position on the border between the Bolognese and Frignano areas.
Both places of worship are decorated with valuable 15th-century frescoes by unknown artists. In the presbytery of the oratory of Monteforte a Madonna and Child and Saints Antoninus, patron of the place, and Barbara; Christ rising from the grave; and a unique Last Supper are depicted. On the barrel vault, then, Christ Pantocrator and Evangelists Luke and Mark can be recognized.
At Riva di Biscia, instead, along with the latter iconographic subject, we find, above the altar, the crucified Christ flanked by Mary, St. John, St. John the Baptist and St. Sebastian. In addition, laterally, St. Christopher and two Majesties appear.
After crossing the Panaro River and passing through the town of Fanano, we head to Sestola, the "green pearl of the Apennines" at the foot of Mount Cimone: the bulk of the majestic fortress that towers above the town from a bristling rocky spur cannot go unnoticed. In one of the rooms of the museums of the castle, a relevant series of late 15th-century frescoes from the old Parish Church of Roncoscaglia is on display, taken with the technique of "tearing" to preserve them from the decay of the building. The ten panels, arranged in two orders, narrate with great fidelity the life of the Baptist.
We also take the opportunity to climb up to the keep terrace, from which there is a spectacular 360-degree panoramic view of the Scoltenna and Leo valleys.
Additional 15th-century frescoes, currently under restoration, have also been discovered under the roof of the neighboring Oratory of San Nicola in Rocca, documented as early as 1114.
Leaving Sestola, we take the SP324 to Riolunato. Passing through a short detour, we reach the hamlet of Castello, where there once stood a strategic manor of the powerful family of Montegarullo.
Not far from the remains of the fortress, hidden among the trees but well-marked by a sign, one glimpses a sober rectangular oratory that holds an interesting cycle, probably dating back to 1516, by a Classical artist: on the barrel vault, God among the Evangelists; on the back wall, the Madonna Enthroned with Child and Saints Martin and Lawrence.
We continue our trip toward Fiumalbo, one of the most beautiful medieval villages in Italy: at the gates of the charming old town stands an elegant Renaissance jewel inside which are vivid frescoes painted in 1535 by Saccino Saccaccini da Carpi, characterized by a lively and original expressive language. Above the altar, one glimpses the Virgin and Child in Glory and five Saints; on the left wall is the Ascension with a delegatioin of Apostles, while on the right is the Assumption. Finally, the protagonist of the cross vault is the Eternal Father surrounded by eight Sibyls.
Afterwards, we strongly suggest you explore the village with its beautiful Church dedicated to St. Bartholomew and its stone houses surrounded by pristine natural landscapes.
In the late afternoon, we get back on the road in the direction of Modena and arrive at the last stop on our itinerary: the charming square of Montebonello a hamlet of the municipality of Pavullo nel Frignano which has retained the appearance and structure of its ancient origins.
At that time, in fact, Montebonello was an important fortified village repeatedly involved in clashes between political factions fighting for control of Frignano.
The late-Romanesque church, which lacks a proper facade, preserves an authentic masterpiece of Apennine art: the rare and rich cycle, discovered by chance by the parish priest in 1980 under the plaster, alternates devotional scenes with some representations of Saint Mary and several Saints on the side walls, continues with a stunning Annunciation on the triumphal arch and culminates in the apse area with episodes from the Life of Mary.
