Chiesa di Santa Maria a Pievebelvicino

This parish church, dedicated, like almost all the ancient parishes in Vicenza, to Santa Maria, was built, probably at a time when the cultural heritage of the Roman Empire was already dissolving due to the advance of Germanic populations.
The various reconstructions and restorations, the last one in the 18th century when the atrium was demolished, erased all traces of the ancient church. The last reconstruction (1865-1868), which gives the church its current appearance, reduced the internal space from three to two naves; the church, with a Latin cross plan, is flanked by a Romanesque bell tower; beneath the atrium, on either side of the entrance, are two ancient paintings dating back to 1200; inside, it retains 16th-century wooden stalls, frescoes from the 1700s and 1800s, and some paintings from the early 20th century; two statues, Madonna and Child, traditionally attributed to the school of Luca della Robbia, and Christ in Piety by Giorgio Lascaris (circa 1470), have been moved to the new parish church.
The parish church was built in a modern style in the 1960s based on a design by architect Sergio Ortolani (and was blessed on August 30, 1964).
The ancient parish, which has now finally been completed, was restored in 1989 after a period of abandonment following the construction of the new church, during which the historic building was used as a storage facility and then as a gym.
Now, in the ancient parish of Val Leogra, liturgies are celebrated, and cultural events (concerts, historical exhibitions, etc.) are organized; in the days leading up to September 18, the church has once again become a destination for pilgrimages from the surrounding towns.