Parokya ni Fr. Nilo sa Italy

Parrocchia Santa Maria In Selva
(Parokya Santa Maria sa Kakahoyan)
"Annunciation"

Vice Parish priest

According to the diocesan survey of Lucca carried out in 1260, the hermitic broth­ers of S. Agostino of the Heremitorium de Cerralto, rejected the trend among the Mendicant orders to migrate to the hills, and instead chose the 'field' of Buggiano in which to build a new monastery, choosing a clearing in the forest that covered part of the plain. The proximity to Via Cassia-Clodia, the rapidly growing urban centre of Borgo, and a fertile plain that was being cultivated ever more intensive­ly, were certainly the reasons for which this particular location was chosen. Likewise, the community of Buggiano would undoubtedly have been in favour of the new monastery, as it would have represented both a support and a stimulus for the social and economic development of the urban centre and the surrounding countryside.

A fourth factor probably contributed to the choice of location: it is believed that a place of worship, originally of pagan origin, had already existed in the forest, and the site was chosen as the location for a tabernacle, which was a traditional ele­ment of popular worship. The brothers organised their new monastery around this tabernacle and the buildings included: a sma^U temple, consecrated in 1280 by Paganello, the bishop of Lucca; a dormitory and a cloister attached to the church. These were basic four-sided structures, which became typical of the Augustine monasteries in later centuries.

The ancient fair of S. Maria in Selva, a sort of spring festival, developed around the worship that took place in the tabernacle, which was dedicated to the Annunciation. It was considered both a commercial and a religious event, and was an important element in the growth of the monastery, because it attracted a grow­ing number of worshippers and merchants, the economic consequences of which were favourable for the brothers.

At the beginning of the fifteenth century, extensive pictorial decoration of the walls and vaults of the church was commissioned, and some of that work is still visible today. In 1492 a sacristy was built behind the choir and around the middle of the sixteenth century new paintings were added to the little chapel outside the church. Finally in 1592 a complex for a granary and guest rooms was built on the west side of the monastery. At the beginning of the seventeenth century the clois­ter was renovated, in Renaissance style, and from 1642 to 1649 the church (at this point too small to accommodate all the worshippers) was radically modified by extending it at the front so far as to incorporate the ancient tabernacle. From 1685 to 1688 buttresses were added to the facade and the north side of the church, to support the load of the vaults.

In 1786 the convent of S. Maria was given assets belonging to the convent of S. Margherita, in Montecatini Alto, which was abolished in 1782. However, the sup­pression by the French government in 1808, assigned the same fate to our convent, which was reduced to a farm and stripped of many of its assets. The neglect last­ed only a few years fortunately, because in 1816 the religious community was reformed. Just fifty years later however, with the suppression of the religious com­munities on the part of the Italian government, the church was opened to all and the convent abolished once again.

Skyview of the Church and Convent

Various suggestions for what the building could be used for were put forward (rural nursery, base for a mobile library, boys' boarding school, farming colony, hemp spinning factory) but eventually, Father Benigno Pera, the trustee of the church, devised a stratagem that allowed him to buy it back in 1883, at which point he turned it into a novitiate. The floor over the granary was built for this new function.

Design of the Convent from a
Cabreo of the year 1635

In 1926 the convent acquired further land and the bell tower of the church was ren­ovated. From 1959 to 1962 other work was carried out to equip the convent as a seminary, extending the wing that ran parallel to Via Livornese to create new rooms and dormitories. The seminary ceased its activity in 1969 and in 1975 the parish of the Annunciation of the Lord was established, part of the territory of which was assigned to Borgo a Buggiano. Finally in 1996, major restoration of the paintings and the cloister took place and was concluded in the space of a few years. Aside from its religious function, the convent has played an essential role as a point of social reference in the community. Furthermore, over the centuries its presence has had a profound influence on territorial organisation affecting the road system, town planning and the commercial economy. A triangle is formed by the boundary wall to the south, which encloses the allotments, and by the two con­verging roads at the top of the field opposite the convent. The convent is a meeting place, as well as the location for fairs and markets, and has been a fundamental element in the growth of the area, as well as a model of suburban configuration.
Indeed the settlement of Villa Bellavista followed suit and is of a similar layout. There were two fundamental stretches of road in the area: the medieval Strada delle Cerbaie, which then became Regia Traversa della Valdinievole (and is today Via Livornese), and Via Ponte Buggianese, which connected the valley to Valdarno
and Livorno and in turn introduced the area into Tuscany's commercial network.
   These two roads began at the top of the triangle formed by the square and the field of the convent. Minor routes also expanded in relation to the triangle, including: Via San Giuliano, Via Colombina and Via S. Maria. This generative characteristic of Santa Maria in Selva is also evident in the organisation of farm holdings and residential areas.

Finally, this description would not be complete without mention of the festival held in S. Maria in Selva. The festival has always been an important part of the Augustinians' pastoral work, as well as the expression of popular piety in the val­ley. The festival was probably established originally by the friars and connected to the worship at the tabernacle dedicated to the Annunciation, which stands in front of the church. Quickly however, it also took on an economic function, favoured by the commercial vocation of the community of Buggiano and the inclination of the Mendicant orders to establish ties with the trading classes. The earliest mention of the festival goes back to the year 1367, when Coluccio Salutati was elected its 'gov­ernor'.

A sepulchral stone inlaid into
the paving in the sacristy.
[+S(epulcrum) D (omini)/ Rossi
della Tosa/ D (e) Florentia
A (nno) D (omini)/ M.CCCXV).
This stone and another in the
cloister are memorials to the battle
of Montecatini in 1315, fought in
S. maria in Selva 

This singular coexistence of devotional and commercial interests was however, the cause of ongoing friction between the convent and the community, although its importance was not diminished by the conflict. Following a period of decline, the festival began to pick up again in the eighteenth century and in 1800, was once again declared 'the queen of all Valdinievole festivals'. The festival included a great market selling cheese, dried fruit, local sweets, wine, toys and above all 'poplars, mulberries and trees of every type'. Thousands of visitors still go to Santa Maria in Selva to buy fruit trees and plants. (Another fair is celebrated on 26^tn July, dedicated to horses and cattle. It is named after Saint Anne and was held in the fields of Bellavista until the early nineteenth century, after which it moved to Borgo.)

The church has retained only part of its original structure: the Gothic cross vaults ribbed with pietra serena; the door that leads to the cloister, which is still visible even though it has been walled up; a portion of the wall to the right of the ribbed bell tower; and traces of a Gothic window on the north wall, next to the bell tower. The church was built in brick and consists of a single nave. The interior was divid­ed into two bays, with a square choir covered by an elegant cross vault. There are no existing documents that mention the original facade, but it is known that there was a round-arched chapel (dedicated to the Annunciation) which stood perpen­dicular to the facade at corner formed with the south wall.

Substantial changes were made from 1642 to 1649: the church was extended at the front, creating a new bay that would incorporate the external chapel; the Gothic windows were replaced with full-length ones, which were trapezoidal in form with a curved upper line; new Baroque-style altars were built; the main altar was moved
from the back wall of the choir to stand under the Gothic arch, which separated the choir from the nave; the arch itself was enlarged and made round; four confessionals with Serlian windows were carved out of the walls; the cantoria was built onto Right: the inside of the front wall and the bell tower was replaced with a new one.

In 1726 a new main altar was built, replaced by the current one in 1968 following the liturgical reform of the Second Vatican Council. In 1952 the old bricks of the floor were replaced with white and grey tiles, leaving a trapdoor in front of the main altar intact. The trapdoor leads to a room underneath, which was used as a collective sepulchre for the monks in the past. Two other burial areas in the church are marked out by marked by a small cross engraving: one, in front of the second right-hand altar, is a family tomb belonging to the important Dei family; and the second was the cemetery, which was once opposite the facade. In 1647 the current bell tower was built with a hip roof and full-length, round-arched windows. It was however modified in 1926, to adhere to the Gothic style: the windows were reduced and pointed and the roof was crowned with Ghibelline merlons. Later a four-faced clock was inserted into the spaces previ­ously occupied by the Baroque windows.

Property of the convent
(Cabreo del 1635)

The cloister, renovated at the beginning of the seventeenth century, is traditional­ly referred to as 'of Brunelleschi' thanks to its classical form, linear perspective and the clear modulation of the spaces. It was designed in the Renaissance style, and consists of monolithic columns made from pietra serena, united by round arches, and an ambulatory covered with cross vaults. Originally it also had a series of columned arcades on the upper level, but these were later replaced with full-length windows. To one side of the cloister there is a lovely well with a well-curb made out of pietra serena. The west wall of the cloister was originally the facade of the chapter house, rediscovered in 1952. It is Romanesque in style, built out of bricks and composed of a central portal with round arch, and two elegant, sym­metrically positioned, mullioned windows with arches. The arches are enhanced by the rounded profile and concave moulding.

The church is endowed with a valuable pictorial legacy. Just inside the entrance, the right-hand side opens onto the Chapel of the Annunciation, the sixteenth-cen­tury revision of the ancient tabernacle that once stood outside the church, but was incorporated into the main building, following the extension work of 1647. On the back wall of the chapel there is a version of the Sacred Conversation: the Virgin sits on a throne with the infant Jesus; Saints Augustine and John the Baptist stand

Interior of the Church

St. Mary of the Forest

Our Lady of consolation

to the left, and Saints Laurence and Nicholas of Bari to the right; false pillars orated with grotesques, masks and vases frame the scene. Two other saint depicited in false niches at the ends of the wall: Saint Peter to the left and ! Andrew to the right. In the lunette above God is illustrated, surrounded by cl bim and white clouds on a golden background, luminous with yellow ochre the underside of the arch, decorated with false marmoreal features grotesques, there are four tondi of the evangelists and in the lower section S Roch is pictured to the left, facing Saint Nicholas of Tolentino. Traces of an anc sinopia are visible underneath the Sacred Conversation. The work dates bac the second half of the sixteenth century and the artist was clearly influenced by first wave of Roman Mannerism. There is also something Raphaelesque in lengthening of the figures and their slim elegance. The qualities of transpare and lightness in the colours, the skilful movement of the drapery and the sw attitude of the characters can only be described as charming. In the fifteenth century the church was embellished extensively with frescoes, remains of which are visible on a number of walls. For example, there is a beai ful piece, which was rediscovered in 1952 and recently restored. Dating back 1410, it is between the second and third right-hand altars, and depicts Sa Augustine, with Saints Catherine of Alessandria and Leonardo of Limoges to t right in Gothic niches. Another two saints were painted on the left of the figun but only a fragment of the arms of the saint immediately to the left of Augusti; is visible. This is because this section of the fresco was destroyed in 1643 when tl third altar was built. The lower section of the painting was also spoiled, when, 1692, the door connecting the church and the cloister was constructed. The influence of the Florentine tradition of Orcagna is unmistakable in the clarity of tl composition, in the solidity of the figures, the to the left, and Saints Laurence and Nicholas of Bari to the right; false pillars dec­orated with grotesques, masks and vases frame the scene. Two other saints are depicited in false niches at the ends of the wall: Saint Peter to the left and Saint Andrew to the right. In the lunette above God is illustrated, surrounded by cheru­bim and white clouds on a golden background, luminous with yellow ochre. On the underside of the arch, decorated with false marmoreal features and grotesques, there are four tondi of the evangelists and in the lower section Saint Roch is pictured to the left, facing Saint Nicholas of Tolentino. Traces of an ancient sinopia are visible underneath the Sacred Conversation. The work dates back to the second half of the sixteenth century and the artist was clearly influenced by the first wave of Roman Mannerism. There is also something Raphaelesque in the lengthening of the figures and their slim elegance. The qualities of transparency and lightness in the colours, the skilful movement of the drapery and the sweet attitude of the characters can only be described as charming. In the fifteenth century the church was embellished extensively with frescoes, the remains of which are visible on a number of walls. For example, there is a beauti­ful piece, which was rediscovered in 1952 and recently restored. Dating back to 1410, it is between the second and third right-hand altars, and depicts Saint Augustine, with Saints Catherine of Alessandria and Leonardo of Limoges to the right in Gothic niches. Another two saints were painted on the left of the figures, but only a fragment of the arms of the saint immediately to the left of Augustine is visible. This is because this section of the fresco was destroyed in 1643 when the third altar was built. The lower section of the painting was also spoiled, when, in 1692, the door connecting the church and the cloister was constructed. The influ­ence of the Florentine tradition of Orcagna is unmistakable in the clarity of the composition, in the solidity of the figures, the subtlety of their expressions and the softness of the colours used.

St.Leonardo Limoges, St. Catherine of
Alessandria and St. Augustine

In addition to the decoration discovered between the second and third right-hand altars in 1952, restoration work carried out in 2008 brought to light another frag­ment, above the first confessional situated on the right wall of the church. Before the work began, traces of the faces of Christ and a saint were visible and despite damage caused by the construction of the confessional in the seventeenth century, the restoration revealed a substantial part of the original fresco. The theme is con­tinued in a frescoed niche with ogival arch: it depicts Saint Apollonia, the patron saint of dentists, with her small mouth slightly open, holding dental pincers; to her right is the Holy Face of Lucca, with Christ, dressed and crowned on a deco­rated cross. Traces of the gilding on the crown, cross, Christ's robe, halo and the pincers are still visible. It is probable that to the right of the Holy Face there is another ogival niche depicting a saint. The fresco, which dates back to the early fif­teenth century, shows traces of sinopia on the arriccio and demonstrates the importance the cult of the Holy Face had in Valdinievole.

The lunettes of the cross vaults contain a series of Baroque frescoes by Florentine Niccolo Nannetti (1675-1749), who was a pupil of Gherardini. The frescoes culmi­nate with the Exaltation of the Virgin, a lovely work of particularly skilful use of colour and composition, which is painted in the lunette above the main altar. The left-hand lunettes depict Saint Augustine and the Mystery of the Trinity and the Miracle of Cordoba. In the lunette opposite, there are paintings entitled 'Saint Thomas of Villanova Giving Alms to the Poor' and 'Saint Nicholas of Tolentino Celebrating the Mass for Souls in Purgatory'. The series distinguishes itself in: the liveliness of the composition and the fluidity of the narrative; the skilful use of light and colour; the richness of the natural environments depicted; and the vital­ity and movement of the characters.

There is another interesting piece in the choir: an oil painting entitled 'Saint Augustine Triumphing over Heresy', attributed to Innocenzo Ansaldi (1734-1816) of Pescia. Among the sculptures there is a beautiful little crucifix kept in the sac­risty: it is a Gothic piece dating back to the fourteenth century, which unfortunately has been somewhat spoiled by a later touch up. There is also a valuable white marble stoup from the seventeenth century. Its oval basin is decorated exter­nally with vegetable motifs, echoing Renaissance models. A wealth of liturgical objects completes the artistic collection of the church, in particular: a small bucket for holy water with an aspergillum in embossed sliver, which dates back to the early seventeenth century; a partially gilded silver chalice, which is a noteworthy example of the goldsmith craft in Tuscany from the middle of the eighteenth cen­tury; a classical, nineteenth-century stational cross; a red damask chasuble embel­lished with polychrome flowers and Rococo elements, which is another lovely example of textile art from the middle of the seventeenth century.