Arriving in Pinzano from Spilimbergo and the plain, the first village you come to is Valeriano and the first building is the small Church of Santa Maria dei Battuti, in Via Roma, which can always be visited. Linked to the confraternity of the Battuti, the single-nave, barrel-vaulted building dates back to the 14th century and has been remodelled several times over the centuries. The confraternity was characterised by its charitable spirit towards the sick and pilgrims.
The façade, which dates back to the end of the 15th century, shows a sinopite reproduction of the original frescoes inside the church. To the right of the entrance portal is a grandiose Saint Christopher, protector of travellers. On the left, Saints Valerian, John the Baptist and Stephen and the adoring Magi are the work of Pordenone. Above the lunette of the architrave, an enthroned Madonna is surmounted by the Savorgnan coat of arms. The portal, dated 1499, is by Pilacorte.
Inside, on the left, you can admire a Nativity by Pordenone, painted in 1527, one of the best known and most delicate works by the Friulian artist. There is also an Escape to Egypt, probably painted by a collaborator of De’ Sacchis, and several 14th-century frescoes.
The original wooden altar is kept in Pordenone at the Museum in Palazzo Ricchieri. The altarpiece is by Gasparo Narvesa.
For more information on the Pordenone frescoes: https://itinerariculturalifvg.it/valeriano/
