Chiesa di Santa Maria

The church of Santa Maria is a building located in the upper (and ancient) part of Panzano in Chianti , in the municipality of Greve in Chianti. Located near the castle of Panzano, this church is characterized by its position, on top of the hill, and by its facade, which is entirely in stone.
Structure and Works
The church of Santa Maria has a simple but at the same time fascinating structure, result of a major renovation that took place at the end of the 1800s. The external covering is characterized by being totally covered in stone with a wonderful relief of the Madonna surrounded by angels above the door. To the left of the facade you can see the bell tower, also made of stone, which in the past was one of the two towers of the castle. Inside, the church consists of a single nave which leads to a semicircular apse. Small chapels have been arranged along the sides, inside which the artifacts are preserved. Inside the structure there are numerous works, including a small panel depicting the Madonna and Child by Francesco Sercenni; the Annunciation of the Crucifix; an ancient ciborium in gilded wood in the shape of a hexagonal temple; a corcifix attributed to a Florentine sculptor located on the altar of the first chapel on the right; the octagonal baptismal font in pietra serena by Luigi Maria Strozzi (1730); the depiction of Santa Maria Maddalena de’Pazzi and Sant'Antonio da Padova, painted by Pietro Dadini (1600); a canvas depicting San Martino; a painting depicting the Assumption of Mary into heaven, by Alfredo Cifariello (1985); Finally, the large door at the entrance to the church is noteworthy, made of cypress wood, and on which eight bronze panels created by the sculptor Umberto Bartoli and depicting: the Holy Family have been placed; the Sermon on the Mount; the four evangelists; the ecstasy of Saint Francis and Saint Catherine of Siena who persuade the Pope to return to Rome from Avignon; the Vatican Council; the view of San Giovanni XXIII in Regina Coeli; the meeting between Blessed Paul VI and the patriarch Athenagon;
History
The church of Santa Maria derives from the expansion of a primitive Romanesque castle in 1200. Enclosed within the walls of the castle of Panzano, the history of this place is rather devoid of major events. However, it should be noted that at the end of the 19th century the church underwent a major restoration which changed its features; first of all the central nave was extended, which originally saw the façade at the same height as the bell tower, and the arches that were on the sides of the structure were also closed, so as to be able to build small chapels. To date, one of these arches has been reopened and it is the one located between the church and the bell tower, which allows direct access to the Cemetery.
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