San Leonardo church in Belagaio
This church was owned by the Counts of Ardengheschi in the 12th century
The small church with one central nave is dedicated to Saint Leonard. It has an elegant façade with an arched portico entrance. Above it there is an architrave sitting on convex consoles. The pinnacle of the building is characterized by a thin bell gable. Inside, it has a small twin lancet window and small arches in stone, separated by an interior central column. The church was built in a single moment as seen by the homogeneity of its architectural features, and it may have also used left over building materials from another church that existed in precedence. The walls are characterized by squared ashlars that are lined up on parallel and horizontal rows. The only anomalies identified are the traces left on the ashlars, which were left by a tool used to mold and sand them. However, these traces or parallel lines left by the tools used to work the ashlars may have been left purposefully as they could be taken for decorative elements. These marks could also have been left during work done on the church in the 1800s.
(Article by Comunità Montana Colline Metallifere)
