Hillside Romanesque Network — Open Churches (San Giovanni in Berzano)

A secluded Romanesque parish church on the hill

In the heart of the Monferrato hills near Asti, in the municipality of Berzano di San Pietro (Piedmont), lies one of the most evocative examples of minor Piedmontese Romanesque architecture: the church of San Giovanni Battista. The building stands in isolation on a hilltop at an altitude of 370 meters, in the Romaneto area, about 2 kilometers from the village towards Casalborgone, near the old cemetery. For most of the year, it is nearly hidden by dense woodland, but upon reaching the summit, the church reveals its simple, solitary beauty, particularly from the apse side.

Eight centuries of history

The first documentary evidence dates back to 1291, when the church was mentioned as San Giovanni de Romaneto de Breçano, though its construction dates to no later than the end of the 12th century. It served as the parish and cemetery church for the ancient village of Romaneto and was likely the only stone building, surrounded by the wooden homes of the peasants. It maintained its role as a cemetery church until 1819; it was closed in 1771 due to structural issues and reopened in 1782.

The architecture

The structure consists of a single rectangular nave with a semicircular apse. The apse is the only element preserved from the original Romanesque layout, while the nave was remodeled in the 18th century. Notable features include the monolithic corbel arches and the exclusive use of sandstone—without brick alternation—which gives the building an essential and rigorous Romanesque style. The facade features a round-arched door and two splayed rectangular windows, while the interior floor is decorated with black and white hexagonal tiles featuring floral and Greek key patterns.

The Hillside Romanesque Network

The church of San Giovanni is part of the Hillside Romanesque Network (Rete Romanica di Collina), a project launched in 2018 and coordinated by the InCollina Association – Tourism in the Heart of Piedmont APS, in collaboration with local municipal administrations. The network promotes the heritage of Romanesque churches in the territory between the Po and Monferrato, forming a crown around the Santa Maria di Vezzolano abbey in Albugnano. The circuit includes 26 municipalities and 28 churches accessible by car, connected by a dense network of trails featuring 17 short loops and the Romanesque Way, a main route of approximately 190 km divided into 7 stages.

When to visit

From April to October, on the first Sunday of every month, the churches in the circuit—including San Giovanni in Berzano di San Pietro—open to the public from 10:00 to 12:30 and 15:00 to 18:00. Access is completely free, and visitors are welcomed by volunteers authorized by the individual municipalities. During each visit, it is possible to have a stamp placed on the RRC General Postcard as a memento of the journey through the parish churches of Monferrato.