Parish church of Sant’ippolito

In the heart of the enchanting Crete Senesi, stands the ancient Pieve of Sant'Ippolito in Asciano, a gem steeped in a millennia-old history and deep spirituality.

The Pieve of Sant'Ippolito, possibly built as early as the late antique period, is documented with certainty only from 714 AD, when it became a point of contention between the Bishops of Siena and Arezzo. In the first half of the 11th century, written sources recall that its baptismal rights had already been acquired by the nearby church of Sant'Agata. From that moment on, Sant'Ippolito began a gradual decline, until its final rebirth in the modern era.

The current structure features a single rectangular nave, although it originally had a basilica layout with three aisles, dating no later than the end of the 10th century. This can be inferred from several semicircular arches that were bricked up, present on both sides and within residential buildings that lean against the church. The rear side is obscured by a storage structure. The façade, characterized by a portal with a lintel topped by a semicircular arch, dates back to the Romanesque period.

Inside, there is a single altar surmounted by a painted and vaulted niche. The subject of the work is a Sacred Conversation, consisting of the Madonna in the Throne with the Child and Saints Peter, Paul, Ippolito, and Cassiano. On either side of the central image, the fresco continues with fake niches in which, on the left, the figures of St. Dominic and St. Augustine can be found, and on the right, St. Anthony of Padua and another figure, later concealed by a fake drapery.

According to art historian Divo Savelli, the fresco can be attributed to the Umbrian school, specifically the workshop of Pinturicchio. The face of St. Cassiano in the fresco is thought to depict the young Raphael, who might have created his self-portrait here.

The Pieve of Sant'Ippolito is currently privately owned.

Mass is celebrated on the feast day of St. Ippolito, August 23rd.