Chiesa dei Santi Vito e Modesto (Montignoso)

The church of Santi Vito e Modesto stands in Piazza, a locality of Montignoso on the Riviera Apuana. Behind its simple gabled façade, Renaissance painting and a richly articulated interior reveal a longer history.

Why it matters

Michele Ciampanti’s altarpiece of 1482 is the church’s principal artistic treasure. Painted by an artist from Lucca, it places the Madonna and Child among Saints John the Baptist, Vitus, Modestus and Peter. The work connects this small community with the artistic culture of Renaissance Tuscany.

What to notice

Eight Doric columns support four arches at the crossing, beneath a vault painted with the four Evangelists. Barrel vaults with lunettes extend along the interior. A sixteenth-century altar includes the enthroned Virgin and Child with two angels.

Context and history

A document of 1351 records an oratory dedicated to Vitus and Modestus on a site previously associated with Saint Anthony Abbot. Restoration and embellishment followed in 1597. The Latin-cross plan, three bays and raised apse give the present church a more elaborate interior than its restrained exterior suggests.