Project

The rural Pieve di San Gregorio was built in 1141 in the important Italian religious and political territory of Perugia. Pievi were rural chapels typically at the center of small monastic complexes and could be distinguished by the high quality of their construction and the sophistication of their decorative elements despite their relatively small dimensions. (...)

The rural Pieve di San Gregorio was built in 1141 in the important Italian religious and political territory of Perugia. Pievi were rural chapels typically at the center of small monastic complexes and could be distinguished by the high quality of their construction and the sophistication of their decorative elements despite their relatively small dimensions. San Gregorio is an important surviving example located in the largely unspoiled rural landscape of Umbria.

Noted for its intricately decorated façade, fine sculptural elements, and superior construction, the Pieve di San Gregorio fell into a state of disrepair after a series of earthquakes struck the region in 1997 and 1998. The building’s façade—ornamented with symbols of the evangelists and figurative images of both real and fantastical humans and animals—became detached from the main body of the church and the pediment was in danger of collapse. Other walls in the church were structurally compromised and the roof beams were loosened from their masonry anchoring.