Basilica di San Giulio

On the island of San Giulio in Lake Orta stands a basilica whose foundation is traditionally attributed to Saint Julius in the late fourth century. Its Romanesque structure includes three apses facing the lake and a carved pulpit of green-grey Oira stone; the interior was later frescoed in the eighteenth century.

Why it matters

The Basilica of San Giulio is a major religious and artistic landmark of Lake Orta. The tradition that Saint Julius founded it as the hundredth church of his mission links the building to the Christian history of the Novarese. Its medieval exterior contrasts with the Baroque treatment of the interior, while the Romanesque pulpit is a distinctive work in local stone.

What to notice

The three apses and tripartite façade retain the basilica's Romanesque character, with terracotta hanging arches beneath the cornice. Inside, the pulpit is assembled from six carved blocks of green-grey Oira stone and supported by four columns. Its imagery includes a griffin and crocodile, an eagle, a winged lion, an angel, foliage, an ox and a centaur. Giovanni Battista Cantalupi's eighteenth-century frescoes cover the vaults above the older structure. The crypt contains the silver urn associated with Saint Julius.

Context and history

According to tradition, Saint Julius founded a church on the island at the end of the fourth century; the story calls it the hundredth of his foundations and explains the island's name. The visible Romanesque structure belongs to the medieval rebuilding, when the island was associated with the bishops of Novara and the church served a monastic community. In the eighteenth century, Giovanni Battista Cantalupi frescoed the vaults and stucco was added over older surfaces. The island's later history includes the demolition of its castle, use as a seminary and the arrival of Benedictine nuns. The basilica remains a place of worship.