Chiesa di San Biagio

Maranello's Church of Saint Blaise marks the town's shift from the castle hill to the crossroads of the Via Claudia and Via Giardini. Designed by engineer-architect Carlo Barbieri, it began construction in 1895 and opened for worship in 1899.

Why it matters

The new church reflected the movement of Maranello's growing community toward the valley floor. A parish church dedicated to Saint Blaise had stood beside the castle, but the settlement was increasingly centred on the road junction. The new building became a focus for the town's civic and religious life at a moment of urban change.

What to notice

The brick façade faces the town whose residents helped build the church; local accounts recall a human chain carrying bricks from the Varini kiln to the site. The bell tower, inaugurated on 15 August 1913, completes the ensemble. The church's collection of paintings, sculptures, side chapels and stained glass documents the devotional art of the parish. Its bells have a distinctive local association: they ring when Ferrari wins a race.

Context and history

The proposal for a new church was contested in 1894, but a vote by 182 family heads, with only twelve opposed, supported construction on the Prandini fields. Work began the following year to Barbieri's design, and the church opened in 1899. The bell tower followed in 1913. The church thus records a shift in Maranello's centre before the town became known internationally for its automotive industry.