The Basilica of Madonna del Ponte ( Italian: Basilica Cattedrale della Madonna del Ponte [1] ) is the cathedral of the Archdiocese of Lanciano Orton of the Roman Catholic Church in the city of Lanciano , in the province of Chieti , in the region of Abruzzo , in Italy .
| Catholic temple | |
| Basilica of the Madonna del Ponte | |
|---|---|
| Basilica cattedrale della madonna del ponte | |
 Basilica of the Madonna del Ponte, Lanciano | |
| A country |  Italy |
| City | Lanciano |
| Denomination | Catholicism |
| Diocese | Lanciano Ortona |
| Type of building | basilica |
| Architectural style | neoclassicism |
| Architect | Eugenio Mikkitelli |
| Established | XVIII century |
| Relics and Shrines | Statue of Our Lady of the Bridge (Madonna del Ponte) |
| Status | Department of the Archdiocese of Lanciano-Orton |
| Site | |
History
The feature that makes this temple unique is that it is built on three arches of the ancient Roman bridge , erected by order of the Emperor Diocletian .
The decision to build a church in honor of Our Lady was made by the inhabitants of Lanciano in 1389 . Initially, it was called the Oratorio of the Blessed Virgin Mary Bridge, then it was renamed Santa Maria delle Grazie. [2] .
The name of the basilica goes back to the statue of the Mother of God with the baby, which was found in 1088 under one of the arches of the bridge during the reconstruction after the earthquake, and was named Our Lady of the Bridge, or Madonna del Ponte . The statue of the VIII century reproduces the ancient Byzantine icon . It is believed that she was sheltered under the bridge from the iconoclasts .
The temple was built in the XIV century. At the beginning of the XVII century, Tommaso Sotardo from Milan built a bell tower . In 1785, work was done to enrich the interior of the basilica.
In the XVIII century, the temple was completely rebuilt by design engineer Eugenio Mikkitelli , who demolished the church of Santissima Annunziata that existed here before. Works on the improvement of the facade , begun in 1819, were not completed.
In 1942 and 1943, restoration work was carried out in the basilica.
Interior
The interior of the basilica is a unique nave framed by pilasters with Corinthian capitals that support the arch along the entire perimeter of the walls. The side walls of the altar in the neoclassical style are decorated with paintings, three of these walls have niches with statues of saints . In a niche in the lower part of the altar is a clay statue of Madonna del Ponte.
The facade has a protruding part, which forms a portico topped with a balustrade . The walls are made of facing bricks .
The bell tower consists of three tiers and stands separately from the main building of the temple. [3] .
Inside the basilica on the right is the Santissimo Sacramento Chapel ( chapel of the Holy Gifts ), decorated with frescoes by Neapolitan artist Giacinto Diano .
After the 1985 earthquake , repairs were made in the basilica, which made it possible to rebuild the presbytery according to the canons established by the Second Vatican Cathedral . The new altar was consecrated in 1996 , with a pulpit decorated in 1997 by a marble eagle by sculptor Vito Pancell , and a font near the presbytery established in 1999 .
Notes
See also
- Lanciano
- Archdiocese of Lanciano Orton
- Basilica of St. Thomas (Ortona)
Links
- History of the Cathedral in Lanciano (Italian)