Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore - Bergamo, Italy
N 45° 42.221 E 009° 39.742
32T E 551561 N 5061338
The church was founded in 1137 on the site of another church from the 8th century dedicated to St Mary, which had been in turn erected over a Roman temple of the Clemence. The dome features frescoes by Giovanbattista Tiepolo.
Waymark Code: WMHECA
Location: Lombardia, Italy
Date Posted: 06/30/2013
Views: 11
The Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore is one of the major monuments to be visited in the upper part of Bergamo.
The church opens on the square (Piazza Duomo) on its own left side, as the main façade has no entrance, being once united to the Bishops' Palace. The external appearance has largely maintained its Lombard-Romanesque origins. The church can be accessed by two entrances by Giovanni da Campione (1353) and by Isabello's Porta della Fontana.
The main apse is crowned by a loggia surmounted by two frieze with geometrical and vegetables patterns, and has blind arcades with semi-columns. The latter's capitals have also vegetable themes, with the exception of one, decorated by Angels with Last Judgement's Trumpets.
The transept's apses have a structure similar to the main one.
Detail of one of the lions supporting the columns of the right transept porch.
Notable is Giovanni da Campione's porch in the left transept, which is supported by columns departing from lions in Veronese marble. the arch has a frieze with hunting scenes, while the vault is decorated by polychrome lozenges. A loggia houses statues of St Barbara, St Vincent and St Alexander. At the peak is a Gothic niche by Hans von Fernach (1403), with the Madonna with Child flanked by St Esther and St Grata (1398). also by Giovanni da Campione is the porch of the right transept, with a similar though simpler structure. The columns are supported by lions in white marble. It has reliefs with Christ Crowned by Saints and Birth of the Baptist.
Isabello's Renaissance porch has, in the lunette, a fresco of Mary's Nativity attributed to Andrea Previtali.
(most text taken from wikipedia)
Hours Open:
Opening hours:
Mo-Sa: 9AM-0:30PM; 3:30PM - 5PM (6PM in Summer)
Su: 9AM - 0.45PM; 3PM - 6PM
Address:
Basilica S. Maria Maggiore
Sede: Via Piazza Vecchia, 6 - 24129 BERGAMO
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Visit Instructions:
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