Church of Santissimo Crocifisso in Borgo San Lorenzo

The Church of Santissimo Crocifisso (The Most Holy Cross), in Borgo San Lorenzo, stands as one of the main spiritual and religious reference points in the Mugello region.

The building’s foundation is linked to the deep devotion inspired by a strikingly large ancient wooden crucifix that, according to tradition, dates back to the Holy Year of 1400, when it was left to the local people by a group of German pilgrims, who were on their way to Rome and severely afflicted by the plague. The community soon attributed wonders and miraculous virtues to the sacred image, prompting the Confraternity of Corpus Domini - later known as the Compagnia de' Neri - to keep the effigy in its own oratory and promote its increasingly widespread veneration.

The need to provide a suitable place of worship for the large and growing number of worshippers led to the construction of the first church between 1641 and 1673, until the majestic Greek cross-plan temple crowned by a large central dome was built, between 1714 and 1743, to replace the previous structures. Severely damaged by the catastrophic earthquake of 1919, the building was carefully restored and reopened for worship in 1927, accurately maintaining its 18th-century layout, which was enriched by marble balustrades, imposing side altars and refined Rococo-style floral decorative motifs.

The artistic patrimony inside the church is vast ad has been enriched over the centuries by donations and commissions. At the center of the composition of the high altar is the Most Holy Crucifix, kept inside a niche and traditionally only displayed to worshippers during the most solemn celebrations.