From the stone forests of cathedrals all over Europe, from the Celts to a comic strip, there lives a being who watches us from his eternal dimension: the Green Man. This being is present in the marvelous 12th century PIEVE DI SAN PIETRO. Among the most beautiful and important Romanesque churches you will find in TUSCANY. The name originates from the Etruscan word KRUPINA, meaning people, country.
We find the GREENMAN in the second column, among acanthus leaves and demonic masks with plant motifs. This image introduces an interesting study that hypothesizes the presence of the "GREEN MAN" in Gropina.
A symbology of human and semi-human heads submerged in the vegetation that overflows from the mouth and ears. A metaphor of the forces of evil that bind the human being without escape. A vision born from an ancient Anglo-Saxon pagan cult spread inexplicably all over the world.
A cult that we find in India, Germany, France, Indonesia up to Israel, in the #templary churches in Jerusalem.
But this is an Etruscan territory, its history is lost even further back in time. At that time an ancient pagan temple dedicated to DIANA stood here.
The parish church is located on the ancient CASSIAVETUS (which still today connects AREZZO to FLORENCE and is one of the oldest churches in Tuscany. It was even mentioned by #CARLOMAGNO in 780 AD.
But the oddities and the charm of this parish, recognized as a NATIONAL MONUMENT, do not end here. The capitals of the naves contain an authentic medieval bestiary with monsters and fantastic animals related to scenes from the Bible.
The sow suckling four piglets, identified as the seasons. A she-wolf with an open mouth, a symbol of evil always lurking and a wolf devouring a sheep.
But you will also find the Knights Templar on horseback armed with shields and spears, as they fight two demons. A fact that supports that the parish would have hosted the Knights Templar.
Each capital deserves an accurate description, but because the fifth column is devoid of images. Unusual that both fifth columns have no images ... why? A mystery within the mystery.
You will also find the CHIMERA, a legendary monster in Greek mythology, symbol of the nearby city of Arezzo, with a lion's head and body, on its back it carries a dragon's head and has a snake's tail.
About twenty steps then lead us into the basement, with the foundations of two buildings, in addition to the Romanesque one, there was also an early Christian church here. An object of enormous interest due to the amount of enigmatic symbolism is the pulpit, one of the most mysterious and magical in Italy. Just look at it to be intrigued and at the same time kidnapped by the interrogative images.
The balustrade is supported by two columns knotted together and has a frieze of "praying" men at the base. Above the symbolic representation of 3 evangelists and on the left side a two-tailed siren and a man in contortion clinging to two snakes that apparently seem to be biting him. Set in a unique landscape, surrounded by greenery, if you pass by these parts, you cannot absolutely miss it.