HISTORY
The parish of San Bartolomeo at Paulo, one of the oldest parishes in the hilly area of Reggio-Emilia, is a precious example of Romanesque architecture, located in the commune of Casina and dating to the 9th century. It was mentioned for the first time on October 14, 980, in a diploma of the Emperor Otto II, which listed the property of the church of Reggio-Emilia. The parish also makes appearances in official documents of Frederick I, Henry VI, Frederick II, as well as Popes Lucius II and Eugenius III. In 1575, the pavement was resurfaced in brick and the roof beams were repaired. The parish of Paullo is therefore an originally Romanesque church that has undergone various interventions of renovation over the centuries. To this end, a massive restoration completed after 1990 strengthened the church’s structure, but deprived it of its old charm. After damage suffered following an earthquake in December 2008, the church was closed, and left for a long time in a dangerously precarious structural situation. But recent interventions of structural consolidation will return the building to its original appearance.

ART-HISTORICAL NOTES
The west-facing façade features a portal with an architrave, a panel bearing a dedication to San Bartolomeo above, and two windows on the sides. The newest parts of the walls, constructed out of rubble, differentiate themselves from the older ashlar surfaces. The primitive apse, formerly flanked by two smaller apses now lost, has undergone a complete reconstruction. In fact, the present apse is mostly rubble, interspersed with stone blocks, perhaps originating from the earlier structure. The church is a three-aisled basilica, articulated by six round columns in cut stone, which carry a rounded arcade.