The Church of Santo Stefano, situated in the hamlet of the same name in Fornace, is one of the oldest religious buildings in the Piné area and stands as a valuable testament to the region’s Christian origins. According to tradition, it was the first parish church on the Piné plateau, predating even the better-known parish church of San Mauro.

Its origins probably date back to between the 6th and 7th centuries, when it was dedicated to Saint Cyprian. The first documentary record dates back to 1232, whilst in 1502 the building was enlarged and reconsecrated, taking on its current dedication to Saint Stephen. Over the centuries, the church has undergone various restorations, whilst retaining the structure established at the end of the 15th century largely intact.

Perched on high ground and set amidst picturesque natural surroundings at the foot of Mount Argentario, the church features a simple gabled façade, characterised by a pointed arch portal sheltered by a canopy and a central oculus. To the side stands the stone bell tower, with pointed twin-lancet and single-lancet windows and a pyramidal roof, which helps to define the building’s medieval silhouette.

The interior consists of a single nave, covered by wooden trusses, and ends with a chancel and a polygonal apse decorated with a reticulated vault. Here, 16th-century frescoes of great interest are preserved: among these are depictions of the Wise and Foolish Virgins, the four Evangelists, the Doctors of the Church and several saints, attributed in part to Corrado da Pergine.

Among the most significant works is also the altarpiece depicting the Madonna crowned by angels and various saints, attributed to the school of Farinati. Further evidence of earlier periods has emerged from archaeological excavations carried out in the 1980s and 1990s, which brought to light ancient burials and a fragment of an 11th-century mosaic.

Taken as a whole, the church of Santo Stefano is a place of great historical, artistic and spiritual value, capable of recounting over a thousand years of history within a landscape of rare beauty.