Church Santa Maria a Ripalta - Pistoia - Tuscany

The place of worship is mentioned as early as the 11th century, along the important road that led from the city to Bologna and Modena, but the oldest part of the current building dates from the mid-12th century. The simple one-room plan with semicircular apse was extended in the 14th century with the transformation of the plan into a Latin cross. In 1400, the chapel was built to house the famous wooden crucifix that was carried in procession during the plague of 1399. The crucifix is now kept in Sant'Andrea and is attributed to Giovanni Pisano.

In 1554 it housed the nuns from the monastery of Montecatini Terme, which had been destroyed in the attack of the Medici troops.

Inside is the great Assumption (1274), rediscovered in the apse basin, attributed to Manfredino di Alberto, and other frescoes in the right aisle, such as the Virgin and Child by Antonio Vite and the Lamentation over the Dead Christ. The open gallery with three round arches was built in 1628. The parish was dissolved in 1784 by Bishop Scipione de' Ricci. The church was restored with restoration work (1981) covering the interior and exterior. Today it is used by the Russian Orthodox community.

Willem Vandenameele