San Lanfranco Church

Pavia, Italy

San Lanfranco is a Romanesque-style Roman Catholic church and former abbey. A paleochristian church at the site, dedicated to the Holy Sepulcher (Santo Sepolcro) was located near here, and the first documentation of a monastery here date to 1090. The monastery became associated with the Vallumbrosan Order, and hosted the bishop Lanfranco Beccaria, till his death in 1198. Pope Alexander III elevated Lanfranco to sainthood the next year. This church, which held his relics, was rebuilt starting about this time, and leading to consecration in 1236, with the bell-tower dating to 1237, and the facade to 1257. The small cloister was designed in 1476 by the architect Giovanni Antonio Amadeo. Amadeo also designed and sculpted the elements of the Arca di San Lanfranco which serves as funereal monument and tomb to the saint.

Located outside the walls of Pavia, the abbey was frequently requisitioned by armies besieging the town. Over the years a number of events, including floods and fires, damaged the church and abbey. Soon after 1782, the monastery was suppressed.

While the exterior of the church is mainly plain brick, the interior still contains frescoes from the 13th to 15th centuries. Among the most notable, is a fresco depicting the murder of St Thomas Becket, whose life had parallels with San Lanfranco. The remains of the small cloister include Romanesque carvings on the columns. The larger cloister has 15th century Renaissance style decorations in the capitals. The tomb of the Saint (Arca de San Lanfranco) was completed from 1498-1508 with designs by Amedeo, and is notable for the carved bas-reliefs by Amedeo and his followers depicting the life of the Saint.

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Address

Via Riviera, Pavia, Italy
See all sites in Pavia

Details

Founded: 11th century
Category: Religious sites in Italy

More Information

en.wikipedia.org

Rating

4.4/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Stefano Masnaghetti (12 months ago)
San Lanfranco is a beautiful example of Pavia Romanesque art. Its foundation dates back to around 1090, when the church was part of a Vallombrosian monastery and its dedication was still to the Holy Sepulchre. The current dedication was given only after the death of Bishop Lanfranco Beccari, which took place in 1198. The church was also rebuilt in its current form: 1237 saw the erection of the bell tower, while the gabled façade, concluded by sawtooth decorations which surmount intertwined hanging arches, was completed in 1257 in imitation of that of the Basilica of San Michele Maggiore, like all the Romanesque churches of Pavia. The single nave interior, on the other hand, is detached from the city model and follows Vallombrosian canons. The apse area was rebuilt at the beginning of the sixteenth century in Renaissance style, and houses the stupendous Ark of San Lanfranco, a sculptural masterpiece by Giovanni Antonio Amadeo (1447 - 1522), built in 1498. The nave, on the other hand, has retained typically Romanesque features, and its right side preserves some notable remains of thirteenth-century frescoes, including the depiction of the assassination of St. Thomas Becket.
Neomar Mignoni (12 months ago)
Basilica of San Lanfranco of Pavia. It's a very interesting place. You can see the church, the cloister of the monastery, and the exterior of the church and monastery. There are also guided tours on Sundays.
MARIA BIANCHI (13 months ago)
The Church is very beautiful, I attend Sunday Mass at 5.30pm, the environment is welcoming and everyone is available
Luciano Benini (3 years ago)
Un luogo di culto in stile antico, senz'altro da visitare. Da visitare anche la zona oratorio, con la passeggiata del chiosco, attualmente in fase di un meritato restauro. Le sale dell'oratorio, recentemente restaurate, accolgono due volte alla settimana studenti delle scuole medie inferiori e superiori per un'attività di doposcuola, gestita dall'associazione Eduche'
Francesca Laforenza (3 years ago)
The Romanesque basilica of S. Lanfranco has undergone a delicate, respectful renovation. There you can breathe an even more intimate and evocative atmosphere. Its location a little distant from the city center but surrounded by greenery and very close to the waters of the Ticino make it even more precious and unique.
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