Chiesa di San Michele in Foro

San Michele in Foro stands on the site of Lucca's Roman forum. Its tiered marble façade, crowned by a large archangel, marks the civic and commercial heart of the city, while the interior preserves works by Filippino Lippi and Luca della Robbia.

Why it matters

The church's name refers to its location in the forum. The surrounding piazza remained a centre of civic life, and the steps of San Michele hosted meetings of the Consiglio Maggiore until 1370. The building combines a medieval religious foundation with the Romanesque and Gothic forms that define Lucca's historic centre.

What to notice

The façade rises through tiers of loggias with sculpted details and two-tone marble inlay. A large statue of the archangel Michael crowns it; local tradition associates a diamond ring on the figure with a glint visible from the piazza. Many façade sculptures were renewed during nineteenth-century restoration. Inside, the Filippino Lippi panel known as the Pala Magrini and a glazed terracotta Madonna and Child by Luca della Robbia are notable works.

Context and history

The church is documented in 795 and was rebuilt after 1070 at the behest of Pope Alexander II, formerly bishop of Lucca. Work on the façade advanced under Guidetto in the early thirteenth century, with upper sections completed in Gothic taste. The bell tower was built between the twelfth and fourteenth centuries; its upper level was reduced during the rule of Giovanni dell'Agnello in 1364–68. Giuseppe Pardini led major restoration work between 1849 and 1876.