Maranello Church

The idea of building a new parish church originated in 1894: Maranello’s old church, near the Castle, was inconvenient, too far away and in poor condition.

It was almost dangerous to try to reach it in winter, when snowfalls were heavy and the road became a sheet of ice. However, not everyone was in agreement about the new building, and the debate was fiercer than expected. The proposal originated with Maranello’s landowners, but the parish priest himself was against the idea. Don Gaetano Masinelli did not want a new church; he preferred to repair the old one, next door to the Castle. This marked the start of a dispute which lasted for a whole year, complicated by another difficulty: it was impossible to find the right site for the new church.

When the location was finally found, the matter was put to the vote: 170 householders out of 182 in Maranello were in favour of the new church of San Biagio (St Blaise). Work finally began in 1895 to a design by Modenese architect and engineer Carlo Barbieri. In spite of the initial disagreements, the new church proved very popular with the community. In fact, a large number of townspeople took part in the human chain which transferred bricks from the Varini brickworks to the yard of the new San Biagio.

The church was consecrated in 1899, while the bell tower was inaugurated on 15 August 1913, with many joyful peals.

Nowadays, these same bells ring out whenever Ferrari wins a race!