Chiesa di San Giovanni Battista

The Church of San Giovanni Battista in Gradara is a medieval parish church known for a wooden crucifix whose face is associated with three changing expressions.

Why it matters

The church preserves evidence of Gradara's religious life from the medieval period through later rebuilding. Its crucifix, parish records and links with local families connect the church with the history of the fortified borgo.

What to notice

The facade retains a fourteenth-century character, while the interior reflects an eighteenth-century remodelling. The wooden crucifix is dated variously to the fifteenth or sixteenth century and was donated by the Barzi-Mosca family. Tradition holds that Christ's face appears to change expression depending on the viewing angle. A painting of the Assumption is also among the church's works.

Context and history

The church depended originally on the pieve of Santa Sofia and is named in the papal tax rolls of 1290–1292. Its foundation is associated with the Malatesta family. An earthquake in the seventeenth century damaged part of the building, and the reconstruction gave the interior its later appearance while preserving the older facade. The church remains part of Gradara's parish community.