Quartiere Pianello

Restoration Project

Why the Church of San Pietro is important  

San Pietro is a thousand year old historic stone church. Such cultural monuments belong to the whole world; they have no confines, no one owner, they belong to everyone regardless of race, religion or ideals.

It is a spiritual place that has seen countless baptisms, marriages, deaths and much joy and pain. Centuries of our history are woven into every corner, every stone.

In a dangerously poor state of repair with a leaking roof, rising damp, crumbling plaster and the precious marble altar sliding towards collapse, it is where members of our Quartiere unite in fellowship one with another. The last Quartiere child to be baptised in San Pietro, Martina, was baptised in April 2007.

This church is where we celebrate mass on our Patron Saint’s Day. We ring the twin bells above the church – our victory bells - to give thanks when we win an archery tournament. We have no other operational church in our neighbourhood.

How Pianello came to own San Pietro

Until the late 1980’s anyone could attend regular Sunday Mass at San Pietro, but the last appointed priest died and the Diocese did not appoint another. Today, in Quartiere Pianello, we have no permanent priest, no deacons and no church elders.

In 2002 the Diocese offered the whole church property, including the sacristy, to Pianello. In a bold decision to provide for future generations of our Quartiere we worked to raise the money and bought the property. The purchase contract states that San Pietro will always remain a consecrated Christian church. We have been able to convert the sacristy so that it now forms part of our headquarters, providing us with larger  facilities for activities.

At the time of purchase we were made aware that the terracotta roof was in bad repair through lack of maintenance, and everybody could see that the interior needed more than a coat of paint. That was only 5 years ago. It is apparent today that if we do not intervene to remedy the problems the leaking roof may not survive another winter, let alone another year. Once the roof collapses, the church will disintegrate within a few years and within a decade it will be nothing but a memory. An important piece of Montalcino’s history will be forever lost.

Our international campaign to raise funds to restore San Pietro for our families, our Quartiere, for Montalcino and for those all around the world who share our values and who do not want to see this church fall apart, will endure for three years. Our Quartiere, under the leadership of President Alessandro Faneschi, face an enormous challenge.

Will you help us by donating to our appeal?  You could be rewarded with your own piece of Tuscany!