Rubbiano Parish
Several Roman artifacts have been found around this area, once crossed by a Roman road. The area entrusted to the care of the new parish church enjoys quite an unusual location. It was indeed chosen as the ideal location bringing together the classic three elements. However, local historians such as Millotti, Rossi and Boschini, with reasoned arguments, state that the original parish church was located in a different place, at the beginning of the slope of the road leading to the Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Cross, whose remains would be incorporated in an old farmhouse owned by the Scarpaccini. Rossi said that “the church erected under the title of Parish church at the foothill of Mt. Rubbiano, by the name of St. Mary of Rubbino, was located on the plain slightly below the house of Gragnetti. In the Gragnetti farmhouses (now owned by the Scarpaccini family, near the road leading to the Church of he Cross) you can still see the Romanesque door and some remains of the wall of the house inhabited by the early priests. Rossi also adds that “later on, St. Mary of Rubbiano was abandoned and another church erected under the name of St. Donnino in a higher place, about 300 meters away”. Always according to Rossi, the Parish Church of St. Mary in Rubbiano was located in a swampy and unhealthy area and that is why it was relocated to a more suitable area. The locals named it St. Donnino in homage to their beloved holy hermit.