Chiesa di Santa Giulia

Santa Giulia is a church of early medieval origin in Lucca's Piazza del Suffragio. Its brick body and marble facade record later rebuilding, while its dedication connects the site with the cult of Saint Julia.

Why it matters

The probable seventh-century foundation and the discovery of Lombard-period tombs nearby place the church within an early phase of Lucca's Christian history. Its later passage from private ownership to the bishopric reflects the changing institutions of the medieval city.

What to notice

The marble facade has three blind arches, a splayed portal and a mullioned window with trefoil forms. Small sculpted female heads animate the arches. One braided head has been interpreted in relation to Lombard representations of Saint Julia. The contrast between the brick body and marble front makes the successive building campaigns visible.

Context and history

The church probably originated in the first half of the seventh century. The Allucingoli family donated it to the bishopric in the tenth century. Rebuilding in brick followed in the thirteenth century, and the marble facade, attributed to Coluccio di Collo, belongs to the mid-fourteenth century. The saint's wider cult was associated with the transfer of her relics from Gorgona to Brescia under Queen Ansa in 762, a history distinct from the later rebuilding of this Lucca church.