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Island of Elba Saint John pieve
Saint John at Campo pieve is a XII century
religious building consecrated to Saint John the
Baptist. It is one of the main 16 Romanesque church
built at Elba island between the XI and XII century.
It was built distant from the city center, according to the
medieval habits, and it is situated in Morata, between
San Piero and Sant’Ilario, in
the street to Monte Perone, in the valley of
Campo dell’Elba.
This ancient pieve reproduce the simplicity and
sobriety of the Romanesque churches. The walls are well preserved
and made up of perfect granitic parallelepipeds (local
stones, from the mines in San Piero).
On top of the main door there are a Greek cross and a bell gable
mullioned in one light. The roof was made of a wonderful wooden
truss but was demolished after the assault of
Dragut pirate in 1553, ally with Francis I.
The inside, restored in 1973, has one rectangular nave ending in
a semi-circular apsis. On the south side there are the ruins of
the hermitage.
On the outside the church is surrounded by splendid chestnuts,
enclosed within impressive defense walls. It is an ideal place to
have a picnic thanks to the park area with wooden tables and
benches. In recent years, in summer evenings, the walls are the
setting of wonderful opera concerts under the
stars. Many interesting paths start from the pieve, and it is
also possible reach the Saint John Tower.
Curiosity
The church is perfectly east-west oriented to receive the rising sun. According to the Old Testament the Messiah would have come from East as a lighting ray to enlighten mankind in the dark.
Walk Torre San Giovanni
Easy walk suitable for all long only 1,5 km that connects the
tower to the Church of San Giovanni.
San Giovanni Tower
On the side of Monte Perone near the towns of San Piero and
Sant'Ilario, is the charming tower watching over the gulf of
Marina di Campo.
Elbaworld suggests
What to visit
Discover places and attractions nearby.
Recommended excursions
Discover incredibly beautiful excursions on Elba Island.
