Chiesa di San Giorgio

The Church of San Giorgio in Pordenone developed from a medieval oratory first recorded in 1347. Raised to parish status in 1588, it was rebuilt in neoclassical form and consecrated in 1873. The church preserves altarpieces by Gasparo Narvesa, Michelangelo Grigoletti and Pio Rossi, along with frescoes by Tiburzio Donadon.

Why it matters

The original oratory appears in the 1347 testament of Ricchiero Ricchieri. As Pordenone expanded, the church became a parish in 1588. Further building phases followed in 1625 and from 1792, when don Lorenzo Grigoletti initiated a rebuilding project that culminated in the present church. Architect Giobatta Bassi designed its neoclassical façade, and the church was consecrated in 1873.

What to notice

The façade rises above a monumental staircase. Inside, the altarpiece of Saint George by Gasparo Narvesa dominates the church; works by Michelangelo Grigoletti depict Saint Anne and Saint Lucy, and an altarpiece of Saint Anthony is by Pio Rossi. Tiburzio Donadon’s fresco cycle, including an Annunciation, was inaugurated in 1941. The parish bell tower, begun in 1852 and completed in 1914, has an octagonal bell cell in reinforced concrete.

Context and history

The church underwent further restorations beginning in 1975, with additional repairs after the 1976 Friuli earthquake. A conservative restoration followed in 2001–02. In 1945, a bomb struck the roof and landed unexploded beside the bell tower. The building continues in religious use.