Basilica di San Domenico description and photos - Italy: Perugia (Topic)

Basilica di San Domenico description and photos - Italy: Perugia. Detailed information about the attraction. Description, photographs and a map showing the nearest significant objects. The title in English is Basilica di San Domenico.

Photo and description

The Basilica of San Domenico, located in Perugia, is the largest religious building in all of Umbria. The church is notable for its late 16th century portal and Baroque double staircase.

The first building of the basilica was built at the beginning of the 14th century on the foundations of a previously existing church known as San Domenico Vecchio, which by that time no longer met the needs of the growing Dominican order. Giorgio Vasari writes that the architect of the new church was Giovanni Pisano. The consecration of the hall-type basilica, which then dominated northern Europe, took place in 1459. Unfortunately, the church was destroyed in 1614-1615. Only ten years later, Carlo Maderno was able to restore its interior decoration - he also gave it a resemblance to St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. In accordance with the new project, the basilica had a central nave and two side chapels.

From the original building of San Domenico, only the cloister (1455-1579) and a huge Gothic window (21x8.5 meters) next to the choir have survived to this day. This window can be seen in the fresco that is today kept in the Palazzo dei Priori. The bell tower was built between 1454-1500 by the Lombardy architect Gasperino di Antonio. In those years it was higher than today - it was shortened for reasons of structural stability.

The sights of the basilica are the tombstone of Pope Benedict XI, who died in Perugia in 1304, the altarpiece by Agostino di Duccio and the wooden choir dating from the late 14th century. Once upon a time there was also an altarpiece, painted by Fra Angelico, - now on display at the National Gallery of Umbria.

The cloister, attached to the basilica, houses the National Archaeological Museum of Umbria, which displays finds from prehistoric times, as well as from the Roman and Etruscan periods.

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Topic: Basilica di San Domenico description and photos - Italy: Perugia.