Just two kilometers from Casola Valsenio, along the road to Riolo Terme (SS 306), stands the Abbey of Valsenio, founded by Benedictine monks around the year 1000. This site is considered the first inhabited nucleus in the Senio Valley and, in the past, hosted a community of monks led by an abbot. We do not know precisely how many monks lived here, but the size of the church and the construction of a guesthouse – “Il Cardello”, located nearby and later becoming the family home of Alfredo Oriani – suggest a stable and sizable community.
One of the most evocative spaces is the cloister, accessible through the church's side door. Here stands an ancient 16th-century well, which provided fresh water for daily life and for the underground cellars. From the cloister, a staircase leads to the rectory, now adapted as the parish priest’s residence. Along the staircase, there is a small shrine that once housed a Byzantine-style Madonna statue, now placed inside the church. Also from the cloister, you can reach the old sacristy, now converted into a small “winter chapel,” which still preserves the original terracotta floor.
The church features a Romanesque façade, restored to its original form after the removal of 18th-century plaster. Over the centuries, the building underwent numerous modifications, but the truss ceiling structure has been recovered, restoring the ancient atmosphere of the nave.
Inside, two works of art deserve attention: a terracotta Pietà in Byzantine style and a statue of Saint Francis crafted by the Faentine sculptors Ballanti and Graziani.
