Church of Saints Lorentino and Pergentino

The Church of Saints Lorentino and Pergentino (Chiesa dei Santi Lorentino e Pergentino) is a small church located along the former ancient Roman road which connected Chiusi, through Arezzo, to Florence.

SHORT HISTORY

Some historians cite the ancient Passion of Saints Lorentino and Pergentino, dating back to the VI-VII century, to identify the church as the place of the burial of two Christian martyrs, Lorentino and Pergentino, beheaded on 3 June 250 by the Emperor Decius.

Little information exists regarding what happened with the church between the burial of the martyrs and the Middle Ages. A document from 1135 shows that the church belonged to the Benedictine abbey of Saints Flora and Lucilla.

In the year 1204, the parish was given to the monks of Camaldoli, to compensate the sale of their church of San Pier Piccolo. They took care of the church from 1252 until the sixteenth century.

In 1663, it seems that, of the entire complex, only the church remained. Later, the church was also abandoned and reduced to a barn. This process of continuous decay up to the loss of the entire western part, that of the façade, and the near construction of numerous huts and buildings of little value, continued until 1970, when the space around the church was decongested.

ARCHITECTURE

The current appearance of the church is the result of a recent restoration, which highlighted the ancient parts. On the southern side, the one facing Via Marco Perennio, on a sandstone wall, there are two portals with an ogival shape, one of which is currently used as an entrance to the church.

Interesting is the part of the apse oriented to the east, made of mixed stone and brick masonry, containing a large rose window and three narrow arched windows.

The interior of the church has a very simple structure with a single room, from which emerge two stone columns, leaning against the wall, which separate the apsidal part from the nave.

HOW TO GET THERE

The closest bus station is in Via Marco Perennio 52, about 80 meters from the church. If you want to find it on foot, use the map below.