Basilica di Sant'Antonino

The Basilica of Sant'Antonino in Piacenza preserves the city's early Christian history within a Romanesque building marked by a distinctive octagonal bell tower. Dedicated to Piacenza's patron saint, the church holds his relics beneath the main altar.

Why it matters

The first basilica was founded in the mid-fourth century by Bishop Vittore and dedicated to Antonino, a martyr associated with the Val Trebbia. Rebuilt in the eleventh century, the church has remained an important centre of devotion and a landmark in Piacenza's religious history. It is recognised as a minor basilica.

What to notice

The octagonal bell tower dominates the church's outline. On the north side, a twelfth-century marble portal reflects the basilica's relationship with the Via Francigena. The projecting north transept porch, known as the Porta del Paradiso, developed between the twelfth and fourteenth centuries and includes a rose window and pinnacles. Inside, Camillo Gavasetti's frescoes cover the presbytery vault. A polychrome terracotta group of the Crucified Christ with the Madonna and Saint John dates to around 1470–80. A plaque in the Porta del Paradiso commemorates the 1183 meeting between envoys of the Lombard League and Emperor Barbarossa that prepared the Peace of Constance.

Context and history

The church's Romanesque structure was rebuilt in the eleventh century under Bishop Sigifredo. Gothic vaults replaced the wooden roof in 1495, preserving traces of earlier frescoes above them. The cloister was begun in 1483; its carved capitals vary from column to column, and the contract with stonemasons Bartolomeo Caxalino and Cristofaro Vecchio survives in the Capitular Archive. Later furnishings include a 1702–03 carved organ case and paintings by Robert de Longe, completed in 1693. The feast of Sant'Antonino is celebrated on 4 July.