Parish Church of Bibbiano

Address and contacts

0039 0522 875109

How to get there

Bibbiano

By car
From Reggio Emilia, secondary road in the direction of Montecchio turning off at Cavriago in the direction of Bibbiano.

By train
From the railway station of Reggio Emilia, TPER train Reggio Emilia/Ciano d'Enza

Historical notes

In the 13th century, the Church of San Pietro was originally affiliated to the Church of Montecchio, under the diocese of Parma. From 1302, the church came under the Chapter of the Cathedral of Parma and when the latter merged with the diocese of Reggio Emilia in 1822, San Pietro joined the vicariate of Bibbiano.
The original church was reconstructed in 1645, with the engineer Francesco Malli directing the works. The presbytery was constructed in 1845.
The steps and raised floor leading to the church entrance were made in 1893 using marble obtained from the Cathedral of Reggio Emilia.
The bell tower, constructed in 1708 under the supervision of the master-builder Giacomo Calligari, suffered considerable damage as a result of the 1818 earthquake and was consequently rebuilt in 1821.
The façade follows the lines of the sloping roof and the pediment is east-facing. The interior has a single nave with a semi-circular apse.
The church entrance is flanked by two rows of pillars with two sculpted crouching lions, and a stairway leads up to the church front.
The tripartite façade is intersected by coupled pilaster strips with Ionic capitals enhancing their verticality.
The main body of the church is joined to the smaller side chapels by curved connecting elements, surmounted by two pyramidal acroterions topped by a ball at each end.
A few metres north of the church and slightly set back from the façade is the slender Baroque bell tower, culminating in a chamber with archivolt windows surmounted by a pavilion.
On the southern side of the church is a striking archway leading to the presbytery.