Parish Church of San Giorgio in Brancoli
The church of San Giorgio di Brancoli enjoys an enchanting panoramic location, nestled against the slopes of the gentle hills that lead to the Pizzorne plateau. From the churchyard, the view extends across the Lucca plain, crossed by the Serchio River, and on clear days, you can even glimpse the unmistakable outline of the bell towers within the walled city.
Contact us
ADDRESS: Via Pieve di Brancoli - loc. Pieve di Brancoli
TELEPHONE: 328 5331903
EMAIL: pievedibrancoli@gmail.com
WEBSITE: pievedibrancoli.it
Consecrated in 1062 by Pope Alexander II, in 1097 the church became a parish church and began to perform the most important liturgical functions for the ever-growing local community.
Its strategic geographical position, in an area with direct access to the Serchio Valley, also increased its importance in the socio-political scenario of Lucca, at the centre of the political struggles for the conquest of the Garfagnana, until the end of the 13th century.
A masterpiece of Romanesque art, imposing and austere, it is also extraordinarily rich in its internal sculptural furnishings.
Built in the second half of the 11th century, it has a basilica plan with three naves punctuated by columns and pilasters with classical capitals, a semicircular apse, and a massive crenellated bell tower attached to the façade. The walls are made of white limestone from Santa Maria del Giudice, with perfectly squared and regularly arranged ashlars.
A curious detail is found in the architrave of the south side portal, decorated with the relief depiction of an enigmatic figure with large open arms and enormous hands, the "Brancolino", whose meaning remains mysterious to this day.
Inside are precious artistic treasures: the marble pulpit (on which Countess Matilda of Canossa, benefactor of the parish church, is depicted) with four columns, two of which rest on lions fighting with a warrior and a dragon respectively, the glazed terracotta by Andrea Della Robbia depicting Saint George and the dragon (1495), the painted wooden Crucifix from the Berlinghieri school (13th century), the finely decorated octagonal baptismal font (12th century) and the fresco of the Annunciation by Giuliano di Simone (14th century).
Itinera Romanica (Romanesque itineraries)
Today the church is an important stop on one of the many Romanesque itineraries that characterize the Upper Tyrrhenian area, between Italy and France.
Nature, historical, and cultural itineraries that pass through small hilltop villages and rural areas along paths and ancient trails, where you encounter minor religious architecture to be rediscovered and enhanced, such as churches, basilicas, parish churches, and chapels.