San Pietro Pieve
Guastalla
The ancient Pieve, first mentioned in the 10th century, was enlarged by the Venetian Domenico Carimano and consecrated in 996 by Pope Gregory V.
Here, in 1095, Pope Urban II held a preparatory synod for the Councils of Piacenza and Clermont, a prelude to the First Crusade.
In 1106, Pope Paschal II convened another council here on the investiture controversy.
Severely damaged by earthquakes and the destruction of 1558, it was rebuilt in 1605 in the Baroque style to a design by Antonio Filippi.
Remaining from that period are 17th-century frescoes, the terracotta statue of the Madonna and Child by Guido Mazzoni, known as il Modanino’, a German wooden crucifix, part of the choir, and 17th- and 18th-century paintings by an unknown artist.
In 1850, the façade was restored to the Romanesque style, and in 1931 the church underwent a complete restoration: the side apses were reopened and the trussed ceiling was restored.
The organ, one of the last built by the Serassi family of Bergamo, dates from 1870.
During the restoration work, Roman artefacts were discovered and are now visible in the perimeter walls.
The present bell tower, partly Baroque, retains elements from subsequent alterations.
