Church of Santo Stefano
The first evidence of the presence of a place of worship in Capraia can be found in the recognition by the bishop of Pistoia in the papal bull of Pasquale II of 1105, which clearly speaks of the "Cappella de Capraria" in the western part of lower Montalbano area. Fifteen years earlier, in January 1090, with Pasquale II himself, among the various "Hospitals" recognized and subjected to the Rectory of S. Zenone, we find the one located at the castle of Capraia. In addition to the chapel and the "Hospital" not far away, there was the female Monastery of S. Giorgio (now a civilian residence). The church of Santo Stefano became the patronage of the Frescobaldi family in the 18th century and bears the name of the town's patron saint. In its present form it was built in the year 1786, designed by the architect Stefano Ciardi by order of Scipione de' Ricci, bishop of Pistoia. The construction was done using some old structures of the medieval castle, so much so that on the outside, in the lower part, the thick walls of the castle dating back to the year 1000 are still visible. Over time, the church has undergone various alterations and the interior shows traces of an eighteenth-century reconstruction, ornate altars and paintings by a local painter, Raffaello Ciani. There are also more ancient testimonies. In a small chapel there is an urn containing the body of Santa Grania, a Christian martyr of the fourth century much venerated by the people of Capraia since the seventeenth century, although she is not the patron saint of the town. The main altar is surmounted by a large canvas by Filippo Tarchiani (1576-1645) depicting the martyrdom of Saint Stephen, a work dating back to 1621. Finally, you can also admire two candelabra-holding angels from 1550 and a wooden crucifix from the 15th century by a sculptor from the Pollaiolo school.
Information
Address: Piazza Vittorio Pucci, 1, Capraia e Limite
Web site: www.santostefanocapraia.it
E-mail address: parroco@santostefanocapraia.it
Phone: 0571.583802
GPX coordinates: 43.737209,11.017563
