Description of the Cathedral of San Lorenzo in Genoa

March 12th, 2013

Cathedral of Saint Lawrence one of the main attractions Genoa, for Orthodox tourists sometimes becoming the main goal of a trip to Italy or a pilgrimage to Liguria. But about Orthodox relics - in the next article, for now, about the cathedral itself.

According to the existing legend, it was here, in the center of Genoa, that he was killed and buried Saint Lawrence, little known in Russia, but widely revered in Italy. Early Christian burials found during excavations serve as a weighty argument in favor of this version. The cathedral owes its name to the fact of the death of the saint on this spot.

Construction Cathedral of Saint Lawrence began in the 12th century and lasted no less than three centuries. The end result was definitely worth the effort. The facade was carried out mainly by French masters and today it amazes with the interweaving of light and dark marble and the elegance of reliefs and sculptures.

Above the main gate, you can discern the figure of Christ - the Judge, and below - torment Saint Lawrence, fried, let me remind you, alive on an iron grate. By the way, according to one version, the stars falling on the night of St. Lawrence are nothing more than sparks from the fire on which the torment took place.

Cathedral of Saint Lawrence, like a treasury, full of paintings and frescoes by famous masters of various eras. The muffled light, unfortunately, does not allow capturing them and seeing the smallest details, but the more intrigue every corner of the church contains.

To see in the left nave Chapel of Saint John the Baptist with a shrine, in which particles of the saint's relics are stored, it is necessary to put a few coins into the urn on the right. On the light-filled elevation of the chapel, the statues of the prophets will immediately appear from the shadow and twilight on the sides, a marble canopy of 1541 and behind it, at the very camp, a shrine in the form of a temple with the relics of John the Baptist.

to the right of Chapel of John the Baptist the entrance to the treasury of the cathedral is placed, where unique Orthodox relics are kept. They will be discussed in the next article.

In the right nave of the cathedral, in a darkened corner, visitors stop in bewilderment near an object that is not at all typical for the decoration of the church (although what is there, it is worth remembering ...). Namely, near a huge shell from the Second World War. In 1944, Genoa was heavily bombed by British fighters. During one of the services Cathedral of Saint Lawrence the bomb broke through the roof and ... fell on the marble floor of the cathedral without exploding. Considering what happened as a miracle of the Lord, and the temple as a Holy place, the clergy decided to leave the projectile as a symbol of the power of God.

In the central nave, note the vault of the cathedral, with a fresco by Lazzaro Tavarone depicting Saint Lawrence. Don't miss the beautiful organ, the wooden choir stalls and the statue of the Madonna near the central altar.

At the exit, stop for a moment and raise your eyes - hidden in the tympanum is a magnificent fresco from the beginning of the 14th century with the Deesis, where Christ is depicted on a throne with two angels on the sides.

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.

Not far from Ferrari Square is the cathedral, which is the main church building of Genoa and at the same time the chair of the Bishop of Genoa.

Construction history

The construction of the Cathedral of San Lorenzo in Genoa began in 1100. It has not been proven by historians, but for a long time there were rumors among local residents that the future cathedral was laid on the site of an ancient Roman temple that stood here earlier, built back in the 5th-6th century BC.

And that, in turn, was built on the site of an ancient Roman cemetery. Like it or not, this fact has not been proven by historians, although during the excavations carried out in the area where the current cathedral is located, dilapidated pre-Christian sarcophagi were found by specialists.

The church was dedicated to the Holy Great Martyr Lawrence who stayed in these parts while traveling with Pope Sixtus II of Spain. On the site of the martyrdom of Lawrence, a chapel was erected, and later - the chapel of the Twelve Apostles.

In the early stages of construction, the cathedral was consecrated by Pope Gelasius II in 1118.

The temple was built over three centuries, therefore, it is not surprising the mixture of different architectural styles in the project of a church building - the Renaissance, Gothic and Romanesque styles. Moreover, masters from France began their work, who built the building in the Gothic style.

At the very end of the 13th century, after a fire broke out, the church building was partially rebuilt. The inner colonnade was replaced, side galleries were added, and the walls inside the temple were painted with frescoes on religious themes.

The view of the cathedral itself is somewhat asymmetrical: During construction, it was planned to build two bell towers, but instead of one of the bell towers, it was later proposed to make a loggia, which was put into practice in 1477.

The bell tower (7 bells) has a height of 60 meters- and today it is the highest bell tower in Liguria (the author of the project is Pietro Carlone).

The completion of the construction work dates back to the 17th century. A century later, the first restoration work was carried out - the dome of the cathedral was restored.

The temple received one "attraction" quite by accident. This happened during operations conducted by British troops in 1941 (Operation Grog).

Want to know what happens at different times of the year? All about the rest in this wonderful town will tell on our website!

Description of the attraction

Pretty impressive size the outfit has a very unusual appearance- a white stripe on the facade alternates with gray. These stripes represent a reminder of the political and military power of Genoa in the Mediterranean.

The facade of the church consists of three portals, created by French masters in the Gothic style. The central portal is decorated with sculptural images of Christ and St. Lorenzo, who was martyred on an iron grate (because of this, the portal was called the "Gate of St. Lawrence").

A wide staircase is brought to the facade, decorated on the sides with sculptures of lions. made already in the Romanesque style by the master Benedetto Antalami and his students. In 1840, two more stone lions stood on the sides of the stairs (author - Carlo Rubatto).

The internal architecture of the cathedral is three naves, separated by columns. Some of the columns were damaged during the earthquake of the 13th century, so they were replaced with stronger ones; later, in the 15th century, a dome was built over the central nave. The painting on the dome is by Galeazzo Alessi.

The walls of the church are decorated with frescoes and paintings on religious themes. On the vault above the central nave, there is a fresco depicting St. Lawrence (the author is Lazzaro Tavarone), and the most valuable frescoes are considered to be “The Glorification of the Blessed Virgin Mary” and “The Last Judgment”, dating from the 11th-13th centuries.

In the left nave is the chapel of John the Baptist, decorated with sculptures by Italian masters (XV-XVI century), in the right - the chapel of St. Sebastian.

In the chapel of John the Baptist (in a special chapel decorated with a copy of the painting "The Last Supper") there is a shrine with particles of his relics.

Colored stained glass windows with images of saints give this place an extra charm.

Treasury

The Cathedral of San Lorenzo also has its own museum - the Treasury, which you can get into by going down the stairs to the underground level (the entrance is on the left, next to the chapel of St. John the Baptist).

The Treasury contains many unique artifacts. For example, a collection of silverware and jewelry, the earliest of which date back to the 9th century BC.

The beginning of this collection was laid by artifacts that were brought by merchants from long trips or crusaders from campaigns. Initially, all the treasures were in three cabinets of the temple, and all parishioners could see these things during the service.

In such cramped conditions, the relics were until the end of World War II. Later it was proposed to use underground facilities. After a partial reconstruction, all artifacts were moved down.

The valuable reliquaries of the underground museum (richly decorated arks made of silver and gold) contain holy relics- particles of the relics of St. Lawrence, John the Baptist, the hands of the righteous Anna and Jacob Zevedeev, a reliquary with the hair of the Most Holy Theotokos.

The relics of St. Lawrence are in a silver statue that welcomes visitors right at the entrance to the museum (the relics can be seen through a special window in the saint's chest).

In addition to the holy relics, the treasury contains church clothes, embroidered with gold and silver thread, which the clergy used for solemn occasions.

The attention of visitors is attracted by the cross of Zakkaria, transferred to the museum by a famous Genoese family; a piece of the Cross - Christ was crucified on it; the dish on which Queen Salome was presented with the head of John the Baptist.

The most valuable exhibit locals consider the Chalice brought by Guglielmo Embriaco from the Crusades to Caesarea in 1098 - according to legend, Jesus Christ drank from it during the Last Supper, that this Chalice is the Holy Grail sought by many religious fanatics.

The Cathedral of the Genoese diocese of San Lorenzo (Cattedrale di San Lorenzo) is located near Ferrari Square and the Ducal Palace. Its construction began in 1110 on the burial site of St. Lawrence and Pope Sixtus II, who, according to legend, were martyred near the cathedral. Like it or not, it is not known for certain, but under the foundation of the largest church in Genoa now, the walls and foundation of the ancient Roman temple, as well as pre-Christian sarcophagi, are really resting, and they are direct evidence that there was once a cemetery here.

The cathedral was built over three centuries with the money raised by the Genoese fleet for participating in the Crusades. Of course, over such a long period of time, the cathedral was rebuilt and restored more than once, both outside and inside. This explains the mixture of three styles: Renaissance, Gothic and Romanesque.

The history of construction and architectural features of the cathedral
The artistic appearance of San Lorenzo is asymmetric: the French masters working on the facade in the French Gothic style planned to erect two bell towers on the facade. However, Giovanni da Gandria proposed to make a loggia in place of the unfinished left tower, which was put into practice in 1477. In 1522 Pietro Carlone completed the right bell tower in the Renaissance style, it housed 7 bells. Today, this sixty-meter tower is recognized as the second highest in the province of Liguria.

The facade of the cathedral consists of three portals (three large gates), erected in the first quarter of the 13th century and radically different from the general style of the cathedral. The central portal was called the "Gate of St. Lawrence". The side ones, less pompous, were given the names of St. Gotthard and St. John. All three portals stand out stylistically, because while working on them, the French masters tried to introduce elements of the Gothic style.

The semicircular field of the pediment of the central portal contains the image of Christ, in front of whom stands Lawrence. The bas-reliefs of the side portals were decorated with lions by the masters of the Benedetto Antelami school in the 13th century. In 1840, two more lions were installed (by Carlo Rubatto): they guard the stairs leading to the portals.

The cathedral of San Lorenzo is lined with black and white marble, laid out in alternating stripes.

Inside the cathedral are three naves separated by colonnades. The columns and their crowning parts were erected in polychrome marble in the 13th century to replace those that had been damaged during the earthquake. Those that have survived can be seen in the second tier: they are made of gray stone in the Romanesque style and date back to the 11th century. In the 15th century, a dome was built over the nave. It was painted by Galeazzo Alesi until 1557. The entire construction was completed at the end of the 17th century.

The cathedral is richly decorated with frescoes, paintings and sculptures by famous masters of different eras. So, above the entrance is a fresco depicting Christ surrounded by angels. On the vault between the nave and the altar there is another fresco - "The Martyrdom of St. Lawrence" (Lazaro Tavarone). Of particular value are the frescoes of the 13th and 14th centuries "The Last Judgment" and "The Glorification of the Blessed Virgin".

The main attraction of San Lorenzo is the chapel of St. John the Baptist (15th century), where particles of the relics of the saint are kept. The locals are very proud that during the First Crusade their ancestors managed to bring them from Palestine (1098). In 1327 the saint was proclaimed the patron saint of Genoa. For some time this Orthodox 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). Unfortunately, it is impossible to venerate them: they are placed inside the throne. The chapel is decorated with statues of those times.

Near the entrance to the cathedral, on the right side, there is a large projectile. This is the memory of February 9, 1941, the day when all of Genoa was bombarded by British artillery fire. A 381-millimeter armor-piercing projectile fired from the Malaya penetrated the roof of the temple, but did not explode.

Cathedral Museum
Collecting valuable artifacts into a single collection began to be collected as early as the 12th century. Their number was constantly growing, largely due to donations from the aristocracy and merchants of Genoa. However, not all of them can be seen today: due to lack of funds, many were sold before the opening of the museum. The treasury was originally placed in three cabinets of the sacristy, and each visitor of the temple could examine the exhibits during the service.

In such cramped conditions, the treasury was until the end of World War II. Franco Albini, who was invited to design a separate room to house the artifacts, proposed to place the treasury in the underground room of the temple.

The floor in the treasury is made of black sea stone, and the walls and ceiling are made of gray stone.

Today, the museum houses more than 500 artifacts, including the "Holy Chalice" made of translucent light green material. For a long time, the relic was identified with the Last Supper, believing that Christ drank from it. In fact, the vase was made of Byzantine crystal around the 9th-10th century. In addition, in the halls of the treasury you can see reliquaries with a lock of the hair of the Most Holy Theotokos, a silver statue of St. Lawrence, in the chest of which particles of his relics are kept, the cross of Zaccaria interspersed with the wood of the cross on which Christ was crucified, the honest hands of James Zebedee and the righteous Anna.

Information for tourists
How to get there: get off at San Giorgio metro station, or take bus number 42 to Piazza San Lorenzo.
Navigator coordinates: 44°24"27"N, 8°55"53"E

There is no other such cathedral that would contrast so strongly with its city. And indeed, underfoot are the dirty port streets and alleys of old Genoa, and if you raise your eyes, the austere hulk of the bell tower. Luckily, only one campanile was built (and not two, as planned), which gives some additional rigor. But most of all, of course, his “zebra”, black and white stripes are remembered.

So, the Genoese Cathedral of St. Lawrence (San Lorenzo).

Cathedral of San Lorenzo

It began to be built in 1100 by the French, but the construction dragged on for three centuries. So not only masters and schools changed, but also architectural styles. The cathedral received such a unique appearance due to a mixture of Romanesque, Gothic and Renaissance.

The Genoese are very fond of their cathedral, and therefore they tell various stories that border on fiction. For example, they believe that San Lorenzo was founded by an ancient Roman temple built in the 6th-5th centuries BC. And then, in turn, on the site of a Roman cemetery. And supposedly archeology during the latest excavations discovered some dilapidated pre-Christian sarcophagi.

According to the original plan, the French masters began to build a temple with two bell towers, equal, but lower.

However, in 1477 it was proposed to leave only the right campanile, and replace the left one with a loggia. With the latter, the bishop could speak before the people. And so it was done. The bell tower turned out to be 60 meters high and seven bells were hung on it. Designed by Pietro Carlone. This is the highest bell tower in all of Liguria.

In 1840, the front staircase to the facade of the cathedral was decorated with lions by the hands of Carlo Rubatto.

The history of one projectile

During the Second World War, Italy sided with Nazi Germany, and Genoa was attacked by the British fleet in 1941 (Operation Grog).

As a result of a mistake by the gunner of the USS Malaya, one shell landed in San Lorenzo, although initially no one was going to bomb the recognized monument of architecture.

However, the shell did not explode, and the cathedral survived. This is the favorite story of the Genoese about their cathedral. And they even know why it happened. It is believed that the Holy Grail itself is stored in the treasury of the cathedral. And it was he who did not allow his "ark" to be destroyed.

San Lorenzo and his Treasury

The Treasury of San Lorenzo is full of various artifacts and relics. They were brought here by Genoese merchants from all over Byzantium and the Middle East, and then by the crusaders returning from the Palestinian lands.

At first, all items were stored in three cabinets, and everyone could come up to them and examine them. However, after the Second World War, it was decided to move them to underground premises, which were specially equipped for this.

So, these are the relics of John the Baptist and St. Lawrence, the brushes of Anna and Jacob Zavedeev, the curl of the Virgin, a particle of the Cross and the dish on which Salome was presented with the head of John the Baptist.

The relics of Saint Lawrence are "hidden" in a silver statue at the entrance to the Treasury. They can be seen through a special hole and her breasts.

But the most important relic is, of course, the Holy Grail.

San Lorenzo and the Holy Grail

What is the Holy Grail? According to the most common version, this is the Chalice, one way or another connected with Christ. First, he could drink from it during the Last Supper. Secondly, from it one of the apostles could pour water on the hands of Christ. Most often they say that Joseph of Arimathea collected his blood in it after the crucifixion.

The Holy Grail gained particular popularity with the development of the chivalric romance, or rather its late stage, the Arthurian cycle. Chrétien de Troyes describes in verse how Percival, the Knight of the Cart, sees the Holy of Holies of Christendom in the castle of the Fisher King.

Half a generation later, the German minesinger Wolfram von Eschenbach echoes the French poet. Thus the fame of the Holy Grail spreads throughout Europe.

The Chronicle of San Lorenzo says that the Chalice was brought from the Crusade to Caesarea by Guglielmo Embriaco in 1098. Since then, it has been inseparably kept in the cathedral. Yes, and the cathedral was built to store it.

On the Internet, you can find that some scientists have proven that the cup stored in the Treasury of San Lorenzo was made only in the 9th-10th centuries, and therefore cannot be the Holy Grail.

However, local residents dismiss this information. Which, by the way, is not difficult, because neither the names of scientists, nor the date of the test, nor the institute where the research was carried out, nor the methods are reported. In general, the exposure turned out to be no more reliable than the one exposed.