Ten centuries, but it does not show them.
It stands isolated, like a solitary diamond, on the flat plain less than a kilometre and a half from the town of San Secondo Parmense.
Travelling along the SP50 road, a poor signpost indicates the diversions to this ancient church.

A place of unique charm, you can almost still hear the ancient hymns of the monks and the voices of the pilgrims travelling along the Via Francigena.

A bit of history:
Considerable repair work was carried out on the parish church already in 1016, so proving that it existed much earlier.
The church dedicated to St Genesius is mentioned in various documents between 1084 and 1188, but only in 1195 it assumed the status of a parish church.
In the 13th century it was destroyed by an overflow of the Taro river and then rebuilt on the remaining ruins.
It was a parish church of considerable importance throughout the 13th century, but due to the urbanization of San Secondo, its importance gradually decreased.
In 1470 it lost its status as a parish church and remained in a state of neglect; in 1962 a roof collapse foreshadowed its ruin.
Consolidation work began between 1967 and 1972 under the direction of the Superintendence of Emilia and the parish church was restored to its ancient and magical splendour.

A note:
The parish church is almost always closed even though it should be open every Sunday from June to September.
However, it is recommended to inquire at:
Archeoclub-San Secondo,
tel. 3394477332, 0521 873200, 0521 371477
San Secondo Tourist Office,
tel. 0521 873214

For more info:
wikipedia. Pieve di San Genesio
www.piazzaduomoparma.com: San Secondo pieve di San Genesio