{{Coord, 43.9706828, N, 11.1480033, E, display=title Santi Vito e Modesto is a

church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a building for Christian religious activities * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian communal worship * Chris ...

in the Italian village of

Sofignano Sofignano is an Italian village and ''frazione'' belonging to the municipality of Vaiano, in the Province of Prato, Tuscany. Geography Overview The village of Sofignano is 2,33 kilometers from Vaiano. It belongs Vaiano municipality together wi ...

, a ''

frazione A ''frazione'' (plural: ) is a type of subdivision of a ''comune'' (municipality) in Italy, often a small village or hamlet outside the main town. Most ''frazioni'' were created during the Fascist era (1922–1943) as a way to consolidate territ ...

'' of

Vaiano Vaiano is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Prato in the Italian region of Tuscany. It is located about northwest of Florence and about north of Prato. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 9,532 and an area of .All de ...

, in the 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

parish church A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in community activities, ...

has been written of since 1024. Originally, the church had a very simple structure: a single

nave The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type ...

in court, trussed roof, and

façade A façade () (also written facade) is generally the front part or exterior of a building. It is a Loanword, loan word from the French language, French (), which means 'frontage' or 'face'. In architecture, the façade of a building is often t ...

. The sizes were very small, as suggested in the top portion of the facade. The shape of the church is not very different from the Romanesque-style churches of San Pietro a Filgine, Saints Ippolito and Cassiano Vernio and

Santa Maria Assunta in Filettole The parish church of Santa Maria Assunta in Filettole in the Italian region of Tuscany dates from the eleventh century. It was destroyed in the Second World War and rebuilt in 1958. Location The church is at Filettole, a village on the outskirts ...

Current status

The complex consists of three different rooms in the center, the church nave, and includes further rooms to left and right of the

sacristy A sacristy, also known as a vestry or preparation room, is a room in Christian churches for the keeping of vestments (such as the alb and chasuble) and other church furnishings, sacred vessels, and parish records. The sacristy is usually located ...

. All three rooms are connected by a

porch A porch (from Old French ''porche'', from Latin ''porticus'' "colonnade", from ''porta'' "passage") is a room or gallery located in front of an entrance of a building. A porch is placed in front of the facade of a building it commands, and form ...

outside. The central structure of the present church has remained substantially the same as the original, and is still easily recognizable from the outside shape of the original church. The facade is dominated by the large porch, which has 5

arch An arch is a vertical curved structure that spans an elevated space and may or may not support the weight above it, or in case of a horizontal arch like an arch dam, the hydrostatic pressure against it. Arches may be synonymous with vaul ...

es reminiscent of ancient

basilica In Ancient Roman architecture, a basilica is a large public building with multiple functions, typically built alongside the town's forum. The basilica was in the Latin West equivalent to a stoa in the Greek East. The building gave its name ...

s. The porch is the focal point of the whole structure, and is the connecting element of the strange combination of premises adjacent to the church. Although externally there is a feeling of unity and correspondence between the arches of the porch and the inner

aisle An aisle is, in general, a space for walking with rows of non-walking spaces on both sides. Aisles with seating on both sides can be seen in airplanes, certain types of buildings, such as churches, cathedrals, synagogues, meeting halls, parl ...

s, emphasized with a sharp two-tone coloring of white and green (as was the case with basilicas), internally there is none. This allows for the avoidance of a feeling of narrowness that would be present from going into a space less than what was expected. Inside, the church appears as it did in 1862, with

plaster Plaster is a building material used for the protective or decorative coating of walls and ceilings and for Molding (decorative), moulding and casting decorative elements. In English, "plaster" usually means a material used for the interiors of ...

ed walls and two side

altar An altar is a table or platform for the presentation of religious offerings, for sacrifices, or for other ritualistic purposes. Altars are found at shrines, temples, churches, and other places of worship. They are used particularly in paga ...

s. Churches in the province of Prato