San Giovanni Battista Decollato (''St John the Baptist Beheaded'') is a

renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ideas ...

-style,

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

rural parish church located in the Borgo della Rocca of town of

Montemurlo Montemurlo is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Prato in the Italian region Tuscany, located about northwest of Florence and about northwest of Prato. Montemurlo borders the following municipalities: Agliana, Cantagallo, Montal ...

, province of Prato, region of

Tuscany Tuscany ( ; it, Toscana ) is a Regions of Italy, region in central Italy with an area of about and a population of about 3.8 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence (''Firenze''). Tuscany is known for its landscapes, history, art ...

, Italy.

History

The ''pieve'' church has an unfinished brick facade with a 15th-century portico. A single nave with lateral altars is now lit by 18th-century windows. The church houses an altarpiece depicting the ''Madonna and Child with Saints'' (1522) by

Francesco Granacci Francesco Granacci (1469 – 30 November 1543) was an Italian Renaissance painter active primarily in his native Florence. Though little-known today, he was regarded in his time and is featured in Giorgio Vasari's ''Lives of the Artists''. ...

; another ''Madonna and Saints'' (1590) by Giovanni Stradano; a ''Virgin of the Rosary and Saints'' (1609) by

Matteo Rosselli Matteo Rosselli (10 August 1578 – 18 January 1650) was an Italian painter of the late Florentine Counter- Mannerism and early Baroque. He is best known however for his highly populated grand-manner historical paintings. Biography He first app ...

, and a canvas by Giacinto Fabbroni. The presbytery has a venerated silver crucifix from the 14th century. The ''Story of the Crucifix'' (circa 1593) was depicted in frescoes by Giovanni da Prato on the counterfacade above the portal. The adjacent oratory once housed a gonfalone painted by Stradano.Pistoia e il suo territorio: Pescia e i suoi dintorni: guida del forestiero
by Giuseppe Tigri, Tipografia Cino, Pistoia (1853): page 338.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Giovanni Battista Decollato Montermurlo 15th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Italy Renaissance architecture in Tuscany Churches in the province of Prato Buildings and structures in Montemurlo