Propositura di Santa Maria del Rosario

The Collegiate Church of Santa Maria del Rosario is Poggio a Caiano's principal parish church. Built from 1889 and consecrated in 1903, it reflects the growth of the settlement on the plain below the older parish at Bonistallo.

Why it matters

The church tells the story of the local community alongside the better-known Medici Villa. Its bell tower, designed by Ardengo Soffici, became a distinctive element of the town's skyline.

What to notice

The bell tower dates to 1938 and replaced an earlier tower built in 1911. Inside, the church's single nave focuses on the high altar. A painting of the Coronation of the Virgin, attributed to Alessandro Allori and dated around 1606, was transferred from the former church at Bonistallo. Other furnishings from the older parish also preserve the community's earlier devotional history.

Context and history

For centuries the parish of Bonistallo, centred on the hilltop church of Santa Maria Assunta, served the area. As the settlement on the plain grew, the parish seat was transferred to a new church. The first stone was blessed in 1889, and the church was consecrated in 1903. The Collegiate Church of Santa Maria del Rosario became the centre of parish life in Poggio a Caiano.