170 Churches to Explore in Italy

The Basilica of Superga, also known as the Real basilica of Superga, stands on the homonymous hill north-east of Turin. It was built by King Vittorio Amedeo II as a thank you to the Virgin Mary, after defeating the French. For this reason, it is considered a "celebratory monument". It seems that the name of Superga has distant Lombard origins and that it comes from a woman named "Saroperga", owner of the site's woods. Another supposition is a name of Germanic origin

The largest church in Rome after St Peter’s, this vast basilica stands on the site where St Paul was buried after being decapitated in AD 67. The basilica is within Italian territory and not the territory of the Vatican City State. The interior of the Basilica of St. Paul is magnificent, with enormous marble columns and beautiful gold mosaics. On the basilica’s walls, visitors will be able to observe the portraits of each of the popes, while a ray of sunlight lights up the portrait of the curren

The royal papal basilica of San Francesco di Paola is a minor basilica in Naples, located in Piazza del Plebiscito, in the historic center; it is considered one of the most important examples of neoclassical architecture in Italy. The church is reminiscent of the Pantheon in Rome. The façade is fronted by a portico resting on six columns and two Ionic pillars. Inside, the church is circular with two side chapels. The dome is 53 meters high.

Basilica S.Maria Gloriosa dei Frari is a church located in the Campo dei Frari at the heart of the San Polo district of Venice, Italy. One of the most prominent churches in the city. Originally built between 1236 and 1338 by the Franciscan Conventual Friars, the structure was thoroughly re-modeled in the XIV century and given its present most magnificent form of the central nave, two side aisles, and seven apsidal chapels after the Franciscan-Gothic style.

The Basilica of San Lorenzo was established during the fourth century and is the oldest church in Milan which was dedicated to San Lorenzo and is built with enormous blocks that were taken from other Roman sites. One of the church's highlights is the Chapel of Saint Aquilino with its fourth-century Byzantine mosaics, adjoining the main church. In the center of the courtyard, Emporer Constantine stands in bronze, a tribute to his Edict of Milan in 313, which ended Christian persecution within th

The Basilica of St. Nicholas was built in the late 11th century to shelter and venerate the relics of St. Nicholas that reached Bari on May 9th, 1087 from the homonymous church in Myra, Lycia. The classical Romanesque-style basilica is located within the ancient fortified citadel, once occupied by the Catapan Court. It was originally constructed to house the relics of St Nicholas, which were stolen from Turkey in 1087 by local fishing folk. Today, it is an important place of pilgrimage for both

Santo Stefano is the most unique complex in Bologna, as it is a true city sanctuary and the cradle of our ancestor’s faith. This extraordinary religious site consists of four medieval churches, originally there were seven churches, and therefore it is known by the name of Sette Chiese. Besides churches, this peaceful complex contains of cloisters, tombs, and courtyards, a great place to browse religious art and artifacts too.

The Arian baptistery is located in Ravenna and was built at the time of the Ostrogothic king Theodoric, starting from the end of the fifth century, finished shortly after, in the first half of the sixth century. It was the baptistery of the ancient Arian cathedral, today called the Church of the Holy Spirit. The baptistery has been included, since 1996, in the list of Italian World Heritage Sites by UNESCO, within the serial site " Early Christian Monuments of Ravenna ". Since December 2014.

The Brancacci Chapel, located inside the church of Santa Maria del Carmine in Florence, represents one of the highest examples of Renaissance painting. It is the result of the collaboration of two of the greatest artists of the time, Masaccio and Masolino da Panicale, to which the hand of Filippino Lippi must be added, called to complete the work about fifty years later. The church and the chapel are treated as separate places to visit and as such have different opening times.

The Colleoni Chapel, a Renaissance work by Giovanni Antonio Amadeo, is located on the Piazza del Duomo in upper Bergamo, leaning against the basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. it was built between 1472 and 1476 as the personal shrine for the condottiere Bartolomeo Colleoni which was dedicated to the saints Bartholomew, Mark and John the Baptist. One of the main pilgrimage centres in this area and also a nice tourist attraction too.

The Palatine Chapel is the royal chapel of the Norman palace in Palermo, Sicily. This building is a mixture of Byzantine, Norman, and Fatimid architectural styles, showing the tricultural state of Sicily during the 12th century after Roger II's father and uncle conquered the island. Also referred to as a Palace church or Palace chapel, it was commissioned by Roger II of Sicily in 1132 to be built upon an older chapel constructed around 1080.

The Medici chapels, built as the burial place of the Medici family, are now a state museum in Florence, obtained from some areas of the basilica of San Lorenzo. The rooms are now known collectively as "Medici chapels" were built between the 16th and 17th centuries as an extension of the Brunelleschi basilica in order to celebrate the Medici family. The Medici chapels are now a museum, which can be accessed from the back of the basilica, in Piazza Madonna degli Aldobrandini.

The cathedral of San Giorgio Martire is the main place of Catholic worship in Ferrara , the mother church of the archdiocese of Ferrara-Comacchio. The cathedral is no longer a parish church but is the seat of all the most important celebrations of the diocese: ordinations, pontificals, solemn funerals. In spring there is also the Blessing of the Palios, or of the four painted fabrics that constitute the prize of the four races of the Palio of Ferrara.

The Metropolitan Cathedral of Sant'Agata is the main place of Catholic worship in Catania, the mother church of the homonymous metropolitan archdiocese and the seat of the parish of the same name. The cathedral is dedicated to the virgin and martyr Sant'Agata, patroness of the city of Catania, and is located in the historic center of the city in the south-east side of Piazza del Duomo, in the Duomo district of Catania or Terme Achilliane - Piano di San Filippo.

A majestic Cathedral is the Roman Catholic Cathedral which was built during 1491-98 and is dedicated to St. John the Baptist. One of the main pilgrimage centres in this area and also its architectural beauty attracts a lot of peoples to here.

The Cathedral of the Madonna Della Bruna and Sant’Eustachio is the Cathedral of Matera, dedicated to the Virgin Mary, the patron saint of the city, and to the Christian martyr Saint Eustace. The church is located on the highest point of the old city, between the two Sassi, the ancient districts of Matera. Formerly the seat of the Bishops, later Archbishops, of Matera, it is now the cathedral of the Archdiocese of Matera-Irsina.

The Cathedral of Santa Maria Della Purificazione is located in Termoli, in the province of Campobasso. It is the cathedral church of the diocese of Termoli-Larino. The church, dedicated to Santa Maria della Purificazione, was built in 1037 over the remains of what was once a pagan temple dedicated to Castor and Pollux, two Dioscuri, or characters from Greek and Roman mythology, twin sons of Zeus. The current building was built between the 12th and 13th centuries.

The cathedral of Santa Maria Annunziata is the most important Catholic place of worship in the city of Otranto, the mother church of the homonymous archdiocese. In July 1945, Pope Pius XII elevated the cathedral to the dignity of a minor basilica. The cathedral, built on the remains of a Messapian village, a Roman Domus, and an early Christian temple, was founded in 1068 by the Norman bishop Guglielmo. It is a synthesis of different architectural styles including Byzantine, Early Christian, and

The church of Santa Maria Assunta and San Canio bishop is a Catholic place of worship in Acerenza and the cathedral of the archdiocese of Acerenza. The current cathedral was built between the 11th and 13th centuries on the remains of a previous early Christian church, which in turn was built on what remained of an ancient Roman temple dedicated to Hercules Acheruntino. The construction works began thanks to the generosity of Roberto il Guiscardo in 1059 with the bishop Godano.

The cathedral dedicated to the Madonna Assunta in Cielo and to the Saints Modestino, Fiorentino, and Flaviano is an architectural work of great importance, located in the heart of the historic center of the Irpinia capital, in the oldest area of ​​the city, called the hill of the main place of Catholic worship in the city of Avellino, as well as the mother church of the diocese of Avellino. The facade of the cathedral, made of highly decorated marble, is of neoclassical style.