Italy—Emilia Romagna and Tuscany—2

Basilica of St. Paulinus, Lucca, Tuscany

Considered a minor basilica for centuries.

A church was here at least in the 8^th Century.  This current Renaissance church dates to the 11^th Century and honors St. Paulinus of Antioch. 

 

Pictures are from Alamy and Wikipedia.

Cathedral Basilica of St. Justina and St. Mary of the Assumption, Piacenza, Emilia Romagna

Considered a minor basilica for centuries.

The basilica is the cathedral for the Diocese of Piacenza-Bobbio.  The Romanesque church was built between 1122 and 1233.

 Pictures are from Dreamstime and Wikipedia.

Basilica of St. Antoninus, Piacenza, Emilia Romagna

Considered a minor basilica for centuries.

The basilica was built in the 4^th Century in a Romanesque style and is dedicated to St. Antonino.  The church, which once served as the cathedral for the Diocese of Piacenza has been expanded and renovated over the years and now includes Baroque and Gothic elements.

All pictures are from Wikipedia.

Basilica of St. Savino, Piacenza, Emilia Romagna

Considered a minor basilica for centuries.

The church was established as a Benedictine monastery in 903 and is dedicated to the city’s second bishop.  Renovations over the centuries have resulted in Baroque elements replacing the original Romanesque elements.

All pictures are from Wikipedia.

Basilica of the Holy Sepulcher, Placenza, Emilia Romagna

Considered a minor basilica for centuries.

A church has been at this site since the 10^th Century, but this church was built in the 16^th Century.

Pictures are from Alamy and a local source.

Basilica of St. Peter, San Piero a Grado, Tuscany

Considered a minor basilica for centuries.

This Romanesque church was built between the 10^th and 12^th Centuries, and it replaced an earlier church.  It is believed to be on the site where St. Peter landed in Italy (at an ancient port) from the Holy Land in 44 AD.  A 15^th Century ciborium marks the spot where St. Peter prayed in Italy for the first time.

The first picture is from Pinterest and the others from Wikipedia.

Basilica of the Annunciation of Mary, Florence, Tuscany

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Pius VII in 1806.

The basilica is the Mother Church of the Servite Order who built it in the mid-13^th Century.  It was initially Renaissance, but Baroque elements were later added.  Legend has it that Bartolomeo began work on a painting of Our Lady but fell asleep after despairing that he could not paint her face well enough to show her beauty.  When he awoke, the painting was completed—work Bartolomeo attributed to an angel.  The portrait hangs in the church.

All pictures are from Wikipedia.

Basilica of Our Lady of Grace, Montenero, Tuscany

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Pius VII in 1818.

A shepherd found a Madonna in 1345, and a church was built here in 1603.  The church was replaced by the current church in 1957.  The church has more than 14,000 votive offerings.

All pictures are from Wikipedia.

Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption or Mary, Parma, Emilia Romagna

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Gregory XVI in 1834.

 The basilica is the cathedral for the Diocese of Parma.  The Romanesque church was built in the early 12^th Century to replace an earlier church.  There are several 16^th Century frescoes by Antonio da Correggio.

All pictures are from Wikipedia.

Basilica of St. Dominic, Bologna, Emilia Romagna

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Leo XIII in 1884.

St. Dominic (1170-1221) moved to Bologna in 1218.  He died in 1221 and is buried in this church.  His burial shrine was designed by several artists, including Michelangelo.  Originally buried in a small church, the Dominicans expanded the building in the mid-13^th Century to its current appearance.  This church became the prototype for other Dominican churches.  A teen-aged Mozart played the pipe organ in the Rosary Chapel.  The basilica has several works of art.

All pictures are from Wikipedia.