Basilicas in Italy—Calabria 2
I blogged about the following basilica on November 13, 2019.
- The Basilica and Co-Cathedral of the Assumption of Mary in Squillace.
Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption of Mary and St. Dionysius, Crotone, Crotone
Declared a minor basilica by Pope John Paul II in 1983.
The Basilica is the Cathedral for the Archdiocese of Crotone-Santa Severina. The Neo-Classical church was built in the 9th Century and rebuilt in the 16th Century. The church has a Byzantine Madonna attributed to St. Luke.
Both pictures are from Wikipedia.
Basilica of St. Julian, Castrovillari, Cosenza
Declared a minor basilica by Pope Benedict XVI in 2010.
Originally built by the Normans in 1090, the stone church was rebuilt in a Baroque style after a 1789 fire. The bell tower dates to the 13th Century. The church has a baptismal font and a crucifix from the 16th Century.
Pictures are from a local source and Wikipedia.
Basilica of Our Lady, Gimigliano, Catanzaro
Declared a minor basilica by Pope Francis in 2013.
The people of Gimigliano acquired a copy of the Madonna of Constantinople—the original is in Naples—in the 17th Century. In 1751, a young local man with an unsavory reputation claimed that the Virgin Mary wanted a chapel built for her image. Initially reluctant due to the man’s reputation, a church was built. Many have claimed miracles due to Mary’s intercession.
The first picture is from Flickr and the last two are from Wikipedia.
Cathedral Basilica of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Cassano all’Jonio, Cosenza
Declared a minor basilica by Pope Francis in 2014.
The Basilica is the cathedral for the Diocese of Cassano all’Junio. The church was originally built around 1100 but has been rebuilt and renovated several times since. The church, which is richly decorated, was built over what is now the crypt which dates to the early days of Christianity.
Pictures are from TripAdvisor and Wikipedia.
Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of the Assumption, Mileto, Vibo Valentia
Declared a minor basilica by Pope Francis in 2016.
The Basilica is the cathedral for the Diocese of Mileto-Nicotera-Tropea. The original Norman cathedral was destroyed by an earthquake in 1783. Its replacement was destroyed by earthquakes in the first decade of the 20th Century. The current Romanesque church was consecrated in 1930.
All pictures are from Wikipedia.
Basilica Shrine of Our Lady of the Oak, Conflenti, Catanzaro
Declared a minor basilica by Pope Francis in 2018.
The Madonna with several angels appeared to a shepherd boy in 1578. Additional apparitions followed, several miracles were reported, and pilgrims started to come. This church was completed in 1580, and the main altar incorporates part of an oak tree near which Our Lady appeared.
Pictures are from local sources.
Co-Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption of Mary, Gerace, Reggio di Calabria
Declared a minor basilica by Pope Francis in 2018.
The Basilica is the limestone co-Cathedral for the Diocese of Locri-Gerace. It was built by the Normans around 1100 and is the largest cathedral in Calabria covering over 18,000 square feet.
All pictures are from Wikipedia.
Basilica of Our Lady of the Castle, Castrovillari, Cosenza
Declared a minor basilica by Pope Francis in 2022.
The church was built by Count Roger the Norman in 1090. The Count intended to build a castle but workers, digging into a wall of earth, uncovered an image of the Madonna and Child. People quickly thought this miraculous and Roger built a church instead. Originally Norman in style, the church was rebuilt in 1363 and received major renovations in the 16th and 18th Centuries. The image is Byzantine in style and some attribute it to St. Luke and others to Greek monks.
All pictures are from Wikipedia.
