Basilica e Santuario di Santa Margherita

The Basilica and Shrine of Saint Margaret stands below Cortona’s fortress. Margaret, the town’s patron saint, died in 1297; her remains lie above the main altar in a silver urn.

Why it matters

The shrine grew around the tomb of Margaret of Cortona, a Franciscan penitent who spent her final years at the church of San Basilio. Her cult has made the basilica a central place of devotion in Cortona.

What to notice

The basilica combines medieval elements with later additions. A rose window and parts of the bell tower survive from the earlier church, while the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries brought side aisles and changes to the façade. The fourteenth-century funerary monument and four plaster statues by Giovanni and Amalia Dupré are among the notable works.

Context and history

After Margaret’s death in 1297, a church was built around her tomb. The present basilica stands where the Camaldolese church of San Basilio had been; later rebuilding gave it its current form. The attribution of the new church to Giovanni Pisano is traditional.