Explore Religious Heritage Across Europe

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Basilica di San Vitale

Basilica di San Vitale

Roma, IT

The early Christian basilica of San Vitale dates back to the 4th century and was originally dedicated to Saints Gervasius and Protasius. It was restored by Pope Leo III (795-816), then again in the Middle Ages and completely rebuilt by Popes Sixtus IV (1475) and Clement VIII (1595): the latter reduced the church to a single nave, instead of the original three, and led to the disappearance of the portico, which was closed off and reduced to a vestibule of the church. In 1859, Pius IX had the characteristic access staircase built, which is located below the church due to the rise in the street level following the construction of the Via Nazionale. The restoration work carried out in 1937-38 restored the original portico.

Basilica di Sant'Agostino in Campo Marzio

Basilica di Sant'Agostino in Campo Marzio

Roma, IT

The Basilica of Saints Tryphon and Augustine dates back to the 14th century, when the Augustinians, who were already officiating in the church of San Trifone in Posterula, decided to build a new structure for their convent and dedicate it to Saint Augustine. The church was built between the end of the 14th century and the beginning of the 15th century and completed around 1420. Too small and built too close to the Tiber, the church was rebuilt between 1479 and 1483. The façade, inspired by the church of Santa Maria Novella in Florence, has been attributed by some to Leon Battista Alberti and was built in 1483 by Jacopo da Pietrasanta.

Basilica di Sant'Agostino

Basilica di Sant'Agostino

Rieti, IT

The Basilica of Sant'Agostino was built ex-novo in the middle of the 13th century by the Augustinians, on land that had previously belonged to the Hermitine order. At that time, when Rieti was enjoying economic prosperity and the Pope frequently made the episcopal palace his seat, the churches of other mendicant orders were also built in the town: St. Francis and St. Dominic.

Basilica di Sant'Apollinare

Basilica di Sant'Apollinare

Roma, IT

The Basilica of Sant'Apollinare was founded by Pope Hadrian I around 780, on the remains of pre-existing Roman buildings. The original building was preceded by a small portico and, inside, it was divided into three naves with an apse. It was then rebuilt in its present form by Ferdinando Fuga on the orders of Pope Benedict XIV between 1742 and 1748: the same pontiff consecrated the new church on 21 April 1748.

Basilica di Sant'Eufemia

Basilica di Sant'Eufemia

Milano, IT

The Basilica of Sant'Eufemia was probably founded around 472 by the bishop Saint Senator. The church was then rebuilt in the 15th century and remodelled in the following centuries thanks to the intervention of important patrons. Federigo Borromeo, the nephew of Charles Borromeo and future archbishop of Milan, was baptised here in 1564. In 1870, the architect Enrico Terzaghi created the present high central hall by eliminating three bays. The church was also enlarged by one bay and the façade was rebuilt.

Basilica di Sant'Eustachio

Basilica di Sant'Eustachio

Roma, IT

The Basilica of Sant'Eustachio was built in the 8th century, with the first mention of it in 795. The old building was completely rebuilt and enlarged in 1195-1196 under Pope Celestine III, when the Romanesque bell tower was added, which can still be seen today. Between the 17th and 18th centuries, the church was completely rebuilt, demolishing all the medieval structures (except the bell tower), and rebuilding it according to the tastes of the time.

Basilica di Santa Croce

Basilica di Santa Croce

Torre del Greco, IT

The Basilica Pontificia di Santa Croce was built at the beginning of the 16th century and houses the remains of St. Vincenzo Romano, parish priest of Santa Croce from 1795 to 1831, who gave the present form to the imposing structure rebuilt after the almost total destruction of the city by the eruption of Vesuvius on 15 June 1794. The church was built to replace the ancient mother church of the town, of medieval origin, dedicated to Santa Maria Maggiore and called Santa Maria dell'Ospedale because of a small hospice for the sick and pilgrims located next to the old church.

Basilica di Santa Maria Assunta

Basilica di Santa Maria Assunta

Genoa, IT

The Basilica of Santa Maria Assunta di Carignano is a religious building built in the 16th century. Like many Genoese churches, it was first a family chapel (belonging to the Sauli family) before becoming an abbey church and a basilica.

Basilica di Santa Maria Assunta

Basilica di Santa Maria Assunta

Alcamo, IT

The Basilica of Santa Maria Assunta is a 14th-century basilica and the mother church of Alcamo. The church, opened for worship in 1402, was built in Catalan Gothic style with three naves. It was extended and modified in 1471, 1530-1558 and 1581. The bell tower with mullioned windows (restored in 1942), the Chapel of the Holy Thorn and the baptismal font are still visible from this original construction. The church was rebuilt in 1699 by Giuseppe Diamante and Angelo Italia, while the neoclassical façade dates from 1786 by Emanuele Cardona and was designed by the architect Francesco Alessandro.

Basilica di Santa Maria dei Servi

Basilica di Santa Maria dei Servi

Bologna, IT

The Basilica of Santa Maria dei Servi was built between 1346 and 1383 as a church of the Order of the Servants of Mary, and was probably designed by the Bolognese architect Antonio di Vincenzo. From the date of its completion and over the following centuries, the church was modified and redecorated several times. The bell tower was erected in 1453. In 1797, following the arrival of Napoleon's troops in Bologna, the church and the monastery were used as barracks. In 1802, the church became a parish church and, after the Restoration, the Servants of Mary were able to return in 1815.

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