Basilicas in Italy—Lazio, Marche, and Umbria—4

Does not include basilicas in the Ecclesiastical Province of Rome.

I blogged about the following churches on October 8, 2020.

• Cathedral Basilica of St. Ciriaco in Ancona, Marche.
• Cathedral Basilica of St. Floridus and St. Amantius, Citta di Castello, Perugia, Umbria
• Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption of Mary, Orvieto, Umbria.

Cathedral Basilica of St. Lawrence Martyr, Viterbo, Lazio

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Pius XII in 1940.

The basilica is the cathedral for the Diocese of Viterbo.  The Romanesque church was built in the 12th Century replacing an earlier church that in turn had replaced a temple dedicated to Hercules.  For a time in the 13th Century, this was the seat of the Popes, prior to their going to Avignon.  Two popes are buried here.  The original church was highly decorated but was restored in the 16th Century in a plainer way.

All are from Wikipedia.

Co-Cathedral Basilica of St. Margaret of Antioch, Montefiascone, Lazio

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Pius XII in 1943.

The Basilica is the co-cathedral of the Diocese of Viterbo.  The church was primarily constructed in the 15th and 16th Centuries and has one of the largest domes in Italy.

Pictures are from Alamy and Wikipedia.

Basilica of St. Lawrence, San Lorenzo in Campo, Marche

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Pius XII in 1943.

The Romanesque and Gothic Basilica was originally the church of a Benedictine abbey dating to perhaps the 7th Century.  The columns are made from Egyptian granite.

Pictures are from a local source and Wikipedia.

Co-Cathedral Basilica of St. Michael the Archangel, Sant’Angelo in Vado, Marche

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Pius XII in 1947.

The Basilica is the co-cathedral for the Archdiocese of Urbino-Urbania-Sant’Angelo in Vado.  A church was built here in the 13th Century and became the original cathedral for the now-suppressed Diocese of Sant’Angelo in Vado.  After the Diocese was created in 1639, the church was renovated and expanded and obtained a Baroque style.  This work took place primarily between 1728 and 1770 with some work extending into the 19th Century.

The first picture is from a local source and the other two are from Wikipedia.

Basilica of St. Francis, Viterbo, Lazio

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Pius XII in 1949.

The Basilica was built for the Franciscans in the 13th Century in a Romanesque style.  It was restored in the 16th and 17th Centuries in a Baroque style.  The church was heavily damaged during the Second World War and was restored to its original Romanesque style.

The first picture is from a local source and the other two are from Wikipedia.

Basilica Co-Cathedral of St. Paul the Apostle, Alatri, Lazio

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Pius XII in 1950.

The church is the co-cathedral for the Diocese of Anagni-Alatri.  The church dates to the 10th Century with expansions and renovations happening over the years.  The current church now has a Baroque-look.  The church may (or may not) contain relics of St. Sixtus I, a Second Century pope. 

The first picture is from a local source and the other three are from Wikipedia.

Basilica of St. Venantius, Camerino, Marche

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Pius XII in 1950.

A church was built here to contain the relics of St. Venantius, a 3rd Century martyr.  The church has been expanded and renovated over the years and now employs Gothic and Neoclassical styles.

Pictures are from Dreamstime, TripAdvisor, and Wikipedia.

Basilica Cathedral of the Assumption of Mary, Urbino, Marche

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Pius XII in 1950.

The basilica is the cathedral for the Archdiocese of Urbino-Urbania-Sant’Angelo in Vado.  A cathedral was built here in 1021which replaced an earlier church.  The 1021 building was replaced in the 15th Century.  This church was heavily damaged by an earthquake in 1789 and restored in a neoclassical style.

All pictures are from Wikipedia.

Basilica of St. Andrew the Apostle, Subiaco, Lazio

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Pius XII in 1952.

The Neoclassical church was built in the late 1700s to replace an older church.  The current church was heavily damaged during the Second World War but was restored.

The first two pictures are from TripAdvisor and the last is from Wikipedia.

Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption of Mary, Fano, Marche

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Pius XII in 1953.

The Basilica is the co-cathedral for the Diocese of Fano-Fossombrone-Cagli-Pergola.  The Romanesque church was built in the 12th Century to replace an earlier church.  There is a Baroque chapel and a neoclassical chapel.  The future Pope Clement VIII was baptized here in 1536.  He is noted for many things, but may have been the first pope to drink coffee.

All pictures are from Wikipedia.

Basilica of St. Rita of Cascia, Cascia, Umbria

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Pius XII in 1955.

The Basilica was built between 1937 and 1947 to house the relics of St. Rita, who had been canonized in 1900.  The façade is dressed in white travertine from Tivoli.

Pictures are from TripAdvisor and Wikipedia.