The Church of the Pieve of Lavazzo, so named for many centuries, is the oldest in the valley and is built on the rocky spur, where the Roman castle stood, which is referred to as “Castrum Laebactiun” by the Roman historian, Pliny. It dates back to 1165 and was enlarged in 1524, the date carved on the portal beneath the lunette. The lunette with “the Annunciation of the Angel to Mary” was rediscovered during the restoration work on the facade. The fresco dates from the 16th century.
The altarpiece, restored in Venice in 1991 by the couple Paolo Chinellato and Marina Nahabed, following the directives of the Superintendency of artistic heritage, was created by Egidio Dall’Olio, of the school of G.B. Piazzetta. It commemorates the martyrdom of the young martyr Saint Giulitta and her child Saint Quirico, thrown onto the steps by the judge Alessandro, in Antioch, where the persecution against Christians was raging during the time of Diocletian.
The crowned Madonna flanked by two angels (17th century) is located on the northern wall of the church. The author of the canvas is unknown, but it has recently been restored by experts Paolo Chinellato and Marina Nahabed.
The interior of the archpriest church is in Romanesque style: around the high altar, in the presbytery, there are very elegant wooden dossals of Venetian school (18th century), and the two imposing stone columns from Castellavazzo give an austere appearance to the church of this village, which had several quarries of white and red stone. The cathedral/basilica of Belluno is entirely clad in Castellavazzo stone on the inside.
