Church of Santa Margherita

The church is located in the center of the current village of Montebello, located northwest of Camaiore, between the slopes of Mount Gabberi and the hill overlooked by the village of Santa Lucia. The first mention of the church dates back to 1260 where it is said that there were two churches: one dedicated to San Martino (the one we are considering), the other dedicated to Santo Stefano, both placed under the jurisdiction of the Pieve di Santa Felicita in Valdicastello, a hamlet about 2 kilometers from Pietrasanta. While the church of Santo Stefano was located in the ancient castle and was destroyed with it, San Martino continued his work of caring for souls and we discover from a letter of 1367 that it changed its title to Santa Margherita. From 1500 it was included in the jurisdiction of the abbey of San Pietro in Camaiore. In 1632 the bell tower was annexed to the church in the space where it still stands today. From the 17th century to the early 20th century, a series of interventions were carried out both to renovate the building and to expand it, such as the construction of the sacristy close to the northern wall or the construction of 2 side altars, one dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Mary and the other to San Carlo Borromeo. In 1944, during the Second World War, some mortar shells hit the main structure and the bell tower, causing extensive damage to the structures. However, the building was promptly rebuilt with the characteristics observed today. The church has a rectangular plan with a longitudinal layout, with the major axis oriented east-west. The roof of the church is a wooden truss, in the Tuscan style. The vertical load-bearing structures are made of mixed stone and brick masonry, all completely plastered, and have 4 rectangular windows placed above the cornice of the nave. The interior is decorated with frescoes, stuccoes and 'faux marble' decorations, made by a 19th century Tuscan workshop. The stone bell tower has a quadrangular plan and is divided into three string courses.