Cathedral (San Lorenzo). Description of the Cathedral of San Lorenzo

Cattedrale di San Lorenzo - Cathedral of Saint Lawrence

GPS Coordinates: 44° 24" 27"" N, 8° 55" 53"" E

Cathedral of the Genoese diocese and one of the main attractions of Genoa. Located in the city center 150 meters west of San Lorenzo street. At the cathedral there Tesoro museum, which means treasury, which houses several Christian shrines, artifacts and various valuable antiques.

According to legend, in this place in the 3rd century. St. Lawrence accepted his martyrdom, traveling in with Pope Sixtus II. Subsequently, a chapel was erected on the site of their burial. Moreover, as a result of modern archaeological excavations near the cathedral, an early Christian cemetery was indeed discovered.

At the beginning of the 12th c. instead of the chapel, a cathedral dedicated to St. Lawrence was laid, and already in 1118 it was consecrated by Pope Galicius II, although it had not yet been completed. After that, work continued for another three centuries, and the originally Romanesque building eventually acquired features of other styles.

For the construction of the facade in the 13th century. French masters were invited, who performed it in the French Gothic style. The bell towers of the cathedral are part of its facade. Moreover, the left bell tower was never completed and in 1477 a loggia was built on its top. The right one was completed in 1522 in the Renaissance style. Its height is 60 meters and there are seven bells on it.

The facade of the cathedral has three portals and is decorated with stripes of two-color marble, which at that time was a symbol of the nobility and emphasized nobility. The main portal is called the Saint Lawrence Gate. In its tympanum above the entrance is depicted Jesus Christ and Saint Lawrence in front of him, which was roasted on an iron grate. On the sides you can see two bas-reliefs with lions, made at the beginning of the 13th century. masters of the Benedetto Antelami school. Two more lions, but already large, by Carlo Rubatto in 1840, are installed on the sides of the wide staircase leading to the portals.

Three-nave Romanesque interior of the 12th century. separated by Gothic columns of the 13th century, also decorated with black and white stripes. There are many paintings, frescoes and sculptures by famous masters of various eras. Above the entrance is a magnificent fresco by an unknown Byzantine master of the 14th century. with the image of Deesis - Christ on the throne surrounded by two angels. An expressive fresco by Lazzaro Tavarone of the 17th century is impressive on the vault of the presbytery. "The Martyrdom of Saint Lawrence".

It should be noted the chapel of St. John the Baptist in the left nave, decorated with sculptures by Italian masters of the 15th-16th centuries. It contains particles of the relics of the saint. And in the right nave you can see a bomb that, during the bombing of the Allied troops on February 9, 1941, broke through the roof of the cathedral and did not explode. Now it is a symbol of God's power that has preserved the temple.

To the right of the chapel of St. John the Baptist is the entrance to the basement, which houses Treasury of the Cathedral of St. Lawrence - Tesoro. The museum was built in 1956 by the Italian architect Franco Albini in the style of Italian rationalism and is recognized as one of the most successful projects in the world for the modern transformation of historical buildings. About five hundred exhibits are stored in the treasury, and this is only a part of the original collection, which has been collected since the founding of the cathedral. Many items were sold out in the 19th century. before the museum was founded.

The main shrine here is a carnelian dish, on which Salome was presented with the severed head of St. John the Baptist. The gilded edges and the image of the saint in the center were already made by French masters. And the six-sided green cup is considered to be the one from which Jesus Christ drank during the Last Supper. It was brought from Caesarea of ​​Palestine during the crusade in 1001. In the 19th century. Napoleon took her to, after which the Holy Chalice was damaged.

It should also be noted: a silver statue of St. Lawrence with particles of his relics in his chest; the cross of Zaccaria, a well-known Genoese family, made by Byzantine craftsmen and decorated with many precious stones and a piece of the wood of the cross on which Christ was crucified; reliquaries with a lock of hair of the Most Holy Theotokos, the relics of St. Anna and St. Jacob the Apostle; magnificent ceremonial ark of the 15th century. and much more.

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Basilica of San Lorenzo (Italy) - description, history, location. Exact address and website. Reviews of tourists, photos and videos.

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One of the oldest churches in the city, founded in the 4th century, is the Basilica of San Lorenzo. Here you can see the tombs of the Medici clan in all the pompous splendor of marble sculptures.

Note the magnificent pulpits by Donatello, as well as the tombstones of the Medici by Michelangelo.

Amazing elegance and fragility greets guests inside the basilica, while outside the temple personifies the epithet "brutal" - clear lines, blank walls, strict proportions, no windows. Despite the fact that the temple was founded in the 4th century, its modern appearance dates back to the 11th century, updated already in the 15th century by the famous Brunelleschi. True, at the same time, the architect was working on the dome of the Duomo, so in San Lorenzo he managed to shaman well only in the Old Sacristy (Sagrestia Vecchia). So, for example, stucco and bronze cherubs and evangelists are the work of Donatello.

In addition to Donatello, San Lorenzo got the painting "The Annunciation" by Filippo Lippi and a balcony for displaying relics from Michelangelo.

Amazing elegance and fragility greets guests inside the basilica, while outside the temple personifies the epithet "brutal" - clear lines, blank walls, strict proportions, no windows.

But, of course, the main thing for which thousands of pilgrims and art lovers aspire to the basilica is the interior of the New Sacristy (aka the Medici Chapel) by Michelangelo. It took the maestro about 15 years to complete the work commissioned by Giulio Medici in 1520. Something magical happened. Michelangelo decorated the lids of the Medici sarcophagi with four symbolic figures: "Morning" and "Evening" went to Lorenzo Urbinsky, and "Day" and "Night" guard the rest of Duke Giuliano of Nemours. Allegorical statues remind of the transience of time and life.

From the New Sacristy it is worth going up to the Chapel of the Princes, which is richly decorated with marble and coats of arms of the cities of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany.

Another masterpiece of Michelangelo's hand is the Laurenzian Library (Biblioteca Laurenziana), which can be accessed through a pretty courtyard with arcades and orange trees.

Address: Piazza di San Lorenzo, 9.

Opening hours: Monday to Saturday, from 10:00 to 17:00. Sundays from 13:00 to 17:30, only from March to October.

Cost - 4.50 EUR for the entrance to the basilica itself and the crypt; 3 EUR for visiting the Laurenzian Library (only 7 EUR will be taken for a general ticket). Tickets for the Medici Chapel are sold in the chapel itself and cost 8 EUR per person.

Prices on the page are for September 2018.

The spiritual life of Liguria began in the 9th century, when the archbishops of Milan (Liguria was part of this diocese) began to build monasteries and churches. The first bishops of Genoa were Saints Romulus, Valentino, Felix and Cyrus. Among the martyrs in Genoa, Saint Espedito is especially revered.

How did the remains of the greatest of mortals - John the Baptist get into this city?

The inhabitants of Genoa, like the Venetians and Barians, participated in the crusades to free Christian shrines from Muslims. From one of the crusades they brought the relics of St. John the Baptist, as evidenced by the story of Guglielmo Embriaco. The relics were brought to Genoa in 1098, accompanied by three ships. In 1327 Saint John the Baptist was proclaimed the heavenly patron of this city together with Saint George the Victorious.

The relics of St. John the Baptist are kept in the Cathedral of St. Archdeacon Lawrence.

In the chapel of the Holy Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord John there is a shrine with his honest relics placed inside the altar of this chapel. Therefore, there is no possibility to attach to cancer. The chapel is decorated with bas-reliefs and sculptures of saints. On the left is the beheading of St. John the Baptist, and on the right is the baptism of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Next to the Chapel of St. John the Baptist is the entrance to the Museum of the Cathedral (Museo del Tesoro di San Lorenzo). It may seem very unusual to the Orthodox that the shrines are not in the temple, where they would be given proper veneration, but in a museum, behind glass. Going down the stairs to the dungeon, we find ourselves in a room where honest relics are stored in valuable reliquaries. At the entrance there is a small statue of the holy martyr Archdeacon Lawrence. In it, in the region of the heart, are placed pieces of his holy relics.

Behind the statue of Hieromartyr Lawrence is a bowl of green glass. It was brought by the crusaders from Caesarea, where it was kept in the cathedral. The crusaders decided that this was the Holy Grail, which, according to legend, was presented to King Solomon by the Queen of Sheba. Solomon kept the cup in his palace. During the Second Temple period, it was presented to one of the honorary citizens of Jerusalem. At the Last Supper, water was poured from it during ablution into the hands of Jesus Christ.

In the same bowl they collected the blood that oozed from the body of the crucified Savior. That is why the cup is called so: the old French word "grail" means "blood".

In the next room we see two honest hands. One belongs to the holy righteous Anna, mother of the Most Holy Theotokos, and the other to the holy Apostle James Zebedee.

In the next room, behind glass, there is a dish on which the honest head of St. John the Baptist was brought for the feast to Herod. Here is a reliquary with the hair of the Most Holy Theotokos.

The museum also stores priestly clothes and ancient items for the celebration of the liturgy.

If suddenly, while in Florence, you want to visit the resting place of the last of the Medici family, visit Church of Saint LawrenceBasilica di San Lorenzo). And even though this harsh building is not located in the most prestigious place in the city, and, in fact, is unfinished, it certainly deserves your attention. Indeed, in the past, the Basilica of San Lorenzo was a small family church of the great Medici family. But from an architectural point of view it is one of the first churches owned.

Let's go back a little and try to find out the history of the appearance of this ambiguous building. So, back in 393 AD. Milanese archbishop Ambrogio ordered the laying of a church dedicated to St. Lawrence and the first archbishop of Florence, St. Zenobius. The relics of the latter were kept within the walls of the church from the 4th to the 7th centuries. It was at this time that the Basilica of St. Lawrence was considered the Cathedral. Today, the main cathedral of Florence is this.

In the 11th century, the first global restructuring of the building took place, during which the Renaissance style was replaced by Romanesque. At the beginning of the 15th century, several influential Florentine townspeople banded together to finance the expansion of the Church of San Lorenzo. The most significant was the donation made by Giovanni Medici, who wished to enter the higher strata of society in this way and strengthen his status.

The main architect to work on the basilica was (Filippo Brunelleschi). The first thing the famous Italian architect did was to add a side chapel, which later became known as the Old Sacristy.

Since it was planned to arrange a tomb for the Medici in it, Giovanni never spared funds to finance the construction.

The construction of the Old Chapel lasted from 1421 to 1428. Its interior revived the system of a dome covering a square room. The interior space was characterized by simplicity and clarity.

After completing work on the sacristy, Brunelleschi began general work on the church. However, he did not have time to finish them. In 1429, Giovanni de' Medici passed away. And with his death, the financial flow also dries up. In the future, work on the reconstruction of San Lorenzo continued at the suggestion of Cosimo Medici the Old, who invited him to the post of architect Bartolomeo Michelozzo. Later, Cosimo the Elder became the first to be buried in the underground crypt, and the Basilica of San Lorenzo became the burial place of all representatives of the famous Florentine family.

In 1520, Pope Leo Medici hired an architect to build the New Sacristy (Sacristy). In it, one of the great Medici planned to bury those from the family who left the world at a young age (Giuliano Medici, Lorenzo di Pietra). This project is one of the most important in the creative life of the master. For example, if earlier the tombs and tombstones themselves were usually placed in the center of the room, then Michelangelo was not afraid to make an architectural revolution by placing the tombs and statues around the perimeter along the walls.

Interestingly, the facade reconstruction work was never completed. According to historical documents, this was due to disagreements between Michelangelo and Pope Leo X of the Medici. Michelangelo insisted on facing the facade with Carrara marble, while the pope preferred to decorate the facade with stone from Pietrasanta.

Actually, the dispute itself arose due to the fact that the facade was supposed to reflect the skill of Italian artists and at the same time testify to the power of the Medici family. And for this, Leo X considered his choice of stone more acceptable. The stubbornness of the sides led to the unfinished façade. After the death of the pope, funding decreased, and the project itself came to naught.

In order for the great artist not to completely turn away from the family, Cardinal Giulio Medici decided to distract him from the facade and commissioned the creation of a new chapel in the Basilica of San Lorenzo. Work on the new building began in 1519. And until now, the tomb sculptures created by him attract tourists from all over the world. In addition to tourists, students from art academies can often be seen in the chapel. Here they learn the craft on the example of world masterpieces.

What to watch

Despite the external ugliness of the basilica, a tourist who gets inside San Lorenzo is unlikely to regret it. After all, he will have the opportunity to see the world's works of art. For example, it is worth noting the bronze pulpits of the work of the great, which appeared in the second half of the 15th century. The interior is mesmerizing. A row of columns of various diameters, devoid of any decoration, is believed to be the work of the architect Vasalleto. It is impossible to ignore the magnificent floor pattern, reminiscent of a carpet with drawings on a church theme.

Old Sacristy

The interior of the Old Sacristy is filled with beautiful medallions, lunettes and bas-reliefs by Donatello. There is also the tomb of Giovanni and Pietro Medici. The inner surface of the dome is decorated with a unique fresco. It depicts the sky with day and night luminaries, as well as the stars known at that time.

New Sacristy

The walls of the New Sacristy contain the sarcophagi of two Dukes of the Medici. The tombs are decorated with various allegorical sculptures made by Michelangelo. In the center is the composition "Madonna and Child".

Chapel of the Princes (Cappella Dei Principi)

The octagonal room of the Chapel of the Princes has the second largest dome in Florence. The dome is decorated with frescoes, on which you can see images of the city coats of arms of the Duchy of Tuscany. The painting of the crypt in which the Medici are buried was made in 1826 by Pietro Benvenuti.

Laurentian Library (Biblioteca Laurenziana)

The authorship of Buonarotti also belongs to the Laurentian Library. The master was engaged in its construction from 1524 to 1534, by order of Pope Clement VII of the Medici.


He also designed an amazing staircase, in the form of a flow of molten lava, and the interior of the reading room. The library contains many books and historical manuscripts. The original collection belonged to Cosimo the Old, and was later expanded by the rest of the extended Medici family. The library also owns some priceless items. For example, a Bible dated to the 8th century AD. or the most ancient Roman encyclopedia (Naturalis Historia).

Despite the fact that the Church of St. Lawrence is not the most majestic architectural structure, it attracts tourists from all over the world every year. And, of course, the Medici family parish deserves your attention.

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Hello friends. Those who visited Genoa, for sure, remembered the numerous cathedrals of this city. The Cathedral of San Lorenzo is considered one of the largest in Genoa and one of the most original in the world. Today we will talk about its history and what can now be seen inside.

Italy. Liguria region. City of Genoa (Genova). Cathedral (main) of the city of Cattedrale di San Lorenzo.

The cathedral is big and beautiful inside. You can allow 1 hour for the visit. In front of it on the square there is a summer cafe.

History

It is known that in the 5th-6th centuries there was a church dedicated to Sir of Genoa in its place. And even earlier, as excavations allow us to assert, there was a cemetery here.

Later, on the same spot, now Ferrari Square, the Church of the Twelve Apostles was erected.

The construction of the Cathedral of San Lorenzo (Cattedrale di San Lorenzo) began in 1115 and attracted a lot of people's attention to the piazza. After all, then it was almost the only place where many people could gather at once.

The cathedral was consecrated in 1118. Of course, it has not reached us in its original form. The first time it was rebuilt after a fire in 1296. At the same time, frescoes appeared inside the building.

But altars with chapels appeared here only in the XIV-XV centuries. Among them was also the chapel for the storage of the ashes of San Giovanni Battista.

By the middle of the 16th century, Galeazzo Alessi, an architect from Perugia, began to reconstruct. And finally this process was completed only by the end of the XVII century.

Interesting fact. During the war on February 9, 1941, the building of the cathedral was saved by a happy coincidence or a miracle.

A shell fired in the direction of the southeast corner of the cathedral did not explode. For some reason, the detonator didn't work. Since then, the projectile has been inside the wall.

Is it a miracle or the work of patriots - there were also such cases in Moscow, for example, several bombs did not explode in the Novospassky Monastery and nearby streets. But inside these unexploded shells were notes with greetings from those who filled the shells with explosives.

Exterior and interior

Externally, the temple is distinguished by asymmetry and a very unusual appearance. The alternation of black and white marble that decorates the facade makes it striped.

• On the sides of the facade you will see towers, different in structure.
• The façade is also decorated with three portals. They were created by masters from France.
• On the central portal you can see the images of Christ and St. Lawrence. This part of the temple was named St. Lawrence Gate.

• The side portals are not so magnificent, they bear the names of the Gate of St. Gotthard and the Gate of St. John.

The facade of the building can be reached by a wide staircase guarded by two marble lions.

The main decoration of the interior of the temple is the naves, separated by columns.

Chapel of John the Baptist

In the left nave is the chapel of St. John the Baptist. Built in the 15th century.

Here are kept the relics of the saint. They were brought to Genoa in 1098 from Palestine by participants in the First Crusade.

In 1327 the saint was proclaimed the patron saint of Genoa. For some time, the Christian shrine was kept in the main hall of the cathedral. Since 1465, it has been located in the chapel next to the altar (it is decorated with a fresco copy of The Last Supper). It is impossible to venerate the relics: they are placed inside the altar.

• The chapel is decorated with sculptures by the best Italian masters of the 16th century.

• This nave is a true work of art. Pay attention to the fresco "The Martyrdom of St. Lawrence", the statues of Taddeo Carlone and paintings.
• Well, the right nave is famous for the very bomb. A 381 mm armor-piercing shell fired by British artillery during a bombardment on February 9, 1941.

Tesoro Museum

The cathedral has its own treasury - the Tesoro Museum, which houses more than 500 artifacts, jewelry and silverware. The oldest of these exhibits date back to the 9th century.

The most famous values:

• Holy Chalice or Holy Grail

According to legend, Christ drank wine from it during the Last Supper. For a long time it was believed that the bowl of a translucent material of light green color, stored in the Cathedral of Genoa, is the same one. But thanks to scientific research, it turned out that this bowl was made in the 9th or 10th centuries. And the material from which it is made is Byzantine crystal.

The Holy Grail is located in Valencia.

• Reliquarium with a lock of Our Lady's hair
• Honest hands of James Zebedee and righteous Anna
• Statue of Saint Lawrence

In the chest of the sculpture are the relics of the saint.

• Jeweled Zakkaria Cross

It is interspersed with pieces of the cross on which Christ was crucified.

• Ceremonial Ark

What is next to the cathedral

• old port
• Museum of Science and Technology Leonardo da Vinci
• Ferrari Square
• The quarter of the palaces of the Palazzi dei Rolli

Working hours

Every day from 9:00 to 11:30 and from 15:00 to 18:00 except Sunday.

Where to stay in Genoa

Now a lot of housing options in Genoa appeared on the service Airbnb. We have written how to use this service. If you do not find a free room in the hotel, then look for accommodation through this booking site.

We offer good options for hotels in Genoa

How to get there

• Metro. To San Giorgio station. Next to the station is Piazza della Raibetta. From it 5 minutes walk in the direction from the bay.
• Take bus number 42 to Piazza San Lorenzo.
• Walking distance from the embankment. From the prominent building of the Aquarium of Genoa 8 minutes on foot. First to San Giorgio station, then point 1.

The cathedral is located inside the “yards”; the area in front of it is quite small. You can walk by and not notice. Appears unexpectedly.

Cathedral on the map

Thank you friends for your attention. Follow us. Goodbye.