Chiesa di Santa Maria al Prato

Santa Maria al Prato stands near the historic centre of Radda in Chianti. The church's Romanesque origins and a Madonna and Child by Neri di Bicci connect it with the area's medieval religious landscape and fifteenth-century painting.

Why it matters

The church adds a different dimension to a town associated with fortification and the League of Chianti. The adjoining former Franciscan convent also links its religious history with later changes of institutional use.

What to notice

The church's simple massing and stonework retain its Romanesque character despite subsequent alteration. Neri di Bicci's Madonna and Child, dated to 1474, forms the principal artistic focus, accompanied by a Renaissance frame.

Context and history

The medieval church preceded the eighteenth-century rebuilding of the adjoining convent. Neri di Bicci's painting belongs to the earlier phase of Florentine artistic patronage in the countryside. In a later reuse, the convent became associated with the Casa del Chianti Classico and the presentation of the district's wine culture, adding another chapter to the history of the religious complex.