The Baptistery
The Oratory of the St. Cosma and Damiano
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Arsago has two important Medieval monuments, San Vittore's Basilica with its bell tower and S. Giovanni Battista's Baptistery. The three buildings are grouped
together in a sort of Pisa's Campo dei Miracoli. The uncertainly
datable basilica - between IX and XII centuries - was built on
an older construction of the V-VI centuries, fragments of
which are visible on the outside of the apse in a decorative
fascia of brickwork and herring-bone stonework. The interior
does not conserve any form of its original decoration. However,
one should note the presence of numerous 'retrieved' Roman
columns and capitals.
The tower, the original belfry of which was walled in 1872
when the bells were housed on the curious terrace above, at
half height, conserves a votive slab to Jupiter placed at
the corner of the north-west pilaster strip.
Opposite to the church there is the octagonal baptistery dating
from the 12th century, with mullioned windows on three sides
and two entrance doors as the catechumens went in through
one and out of the other once christened.
In the woods a little outside the town, there is the Oratory
of San Cosma and San Damiano, built in the XII century.
The Church of Santa Maria in Monticello, built in
the IX century, preserves some ancient Romanic frescoes.
Finds that range from prehistory to the Longobard period
have been preserved in the Archeological Museum. Besides
the group of grave stones in the space before the museum,
the Longobard necropolis is of considerable interest.
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