From Cervia to the parish church complexes
Itinerary: Cervia, Pisignano, Castiglione di Ravenna, Matellica, Campiano, Castiglione di Ravenna, Cervia
This circular route will lead participants to discover some of the parish church complexes that can be found in the Province of Ravenna, including those in Santo Stefano, San Cassiano in Decimo and San Pantaleone. It begins in Cervia and heads into the countryside, cycling along delightful secondary roads and headlands, the dirt tracks that connect adjoining fields. After about 10 kilometres, participants will come across the parish church complex of Santo Stefano, before continuing along the beautiful cycle path that flanks the River Savio and then heading into the flat countryside. On the road, cyclists will come across the parish church of San Cassiano and finally, the church of San Pantaleone near Castiglione di Cervia.
Curiosities
Parish church complexes
Deriving from the Latin word plebs (people), the Italian word pieve (parish church) is used to describe a complex of small buildings that include a church, a rectory and sometimes, an oratory. Initially used as social, administrative and judicial institutes in small rural villages, these buildings acquired a purely religious function only during the late Middle Ages. In Romagna, several of these parish church complexes still exist to this day; they are architectural treasures that participants can visit whilst taking a break during their cycle ride.
