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Cappella dei Pesci

Cappella dei Pesci, or the Chapel of the Fish, is a small chapel commissioned by father ]acopo Mindria da Bibbiena in 1510 as a sign of thanksgiving for his recovery from a deathly illness. He chose the site of the miraculous spring of Camugnana. It was said that in this place two lay monks from Badia, sent by Saint John Gualbert, found two pike. The Saint offered them as a gift to Pope Leo IX who was visiting Passignano. The small circular building has a dome covered in fish-scale tiles topped by a stone pyramid-shaped pinnacle bearing the Badia’s emblem. In 1798, Abbot Angelo Marcucci, restored the chapel and added the portico.

Cappella di San Giovanni Gualberto

Across the Sambuca bridge the road follows the river to the Mulino dell’Abate.
Here is a chapel dedicated to Saint John Gualbert. It lies in the woods along the way. It was restored in 1856 by father Riccardo Agostino Ricci. The legend says that the Saint suffered from sciatica and used to lie down for relief on the stone, which can be seen from the small window that opens onto the back of the chapel.

A note on Saint John Gualbert
John Gualbert was born into the noble Visdomini family. He converted after a miracle which took place in the hills just outside Florence: John, hunting the assassin of his brother Ugo, ran across him near the Church of San Miniato al Monte, whereupon the killer threw himself at his feet. Instead of taking vengeance for his brother’s murder, the Saint pardoned him, and entering the church soon after, saw the Christ of the painted Crucifix of the central nave move with a gesture of approval. As result of this miracle, despite his father’s opposition, John retired to a monastery. Later he founded his own order of monks, which observed the Benedictine rule, in Vallombrosa, and began the fight against simonist bishops and abbots who had gained their office through money. He died in Passignano on the 12th July 1073 and was canonized in 1193.

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