Santa Croce is a

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ideas ...

style,

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

Basilica church in Mortara,

Province of Pavia The province of Pavia ( it, Provincia di Pavia) is a province in the region of Lombardy in northern Italy; its capital is Pavia. , the province has a population of 548,722 inhabitants and an area of ; the town of Pavia has a population of 72,205. ...

, region of

Lombardy Lombardy ( it, Lombardia, Lombard language, Lombard: ''Lombardia'' or ''Lumbardia' '') is an administrative regions of Italy, region of Italy that covers ; it is located in the northern-central part of the country and has a population of about 10 ...

, Italy. The original church at the site was founded in 1080, outside the walls of the village under the patronage of

Pope Gregory VII Pope Gregory VII ( la, Gregorius VII; 1015 – 25 May 1085), born Hildebrand of Sovana ( it, Ildebrando di Soana), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 22 April 1073 to his death in 1085. He is venerated as a saint ...

. With the expansion of the town, the church was rebuilt in 1596 using designs of

Pellegrino Tibaldi Pellegrino Tibaldi (Valsolda, 1527–Milan, 1596), also known as Pellegrino di Tibaldo de Pellegrini, was an Italian mannerism, mannerist architect, sculpture, sculptor, and mural Painting, painter. Biography Tibaldi was born in Puria di Valsol ...

. One of the holy relics of the church is putatively a foot print of Christ, though made of Carrara marble, and, according to the tradition, dating back to the period of the Crusades. It is located between two of the chapels on a pilaster strip. In the third chapel on the right there is a canvas depicting the ''Adoration of Magi'' (1533) by

Bernardino Lanino Bernardino Lanini or Lanino (c. 1512 – c. 1582) was an Italian painter of the Renaissance period, active mainly in Milan. Biography He was born in Mortara near Pavia.Guglielmo Caccia Guglielmo Caccia called il Moncalvo (9 May 15681625) was an Italian painter of sacred subjects in a Mannerism, Mannerist style. Biography He was born in Montabone near Acqui Terme, Acqui. He is said to have been a pupil of Lorenzo Sabbatini. He s ...

, also called Il Moncalvo. In the counterfacade there are two tempera canvases (1545) depicting ''Our Lady of the Annunciation'' and ''Archangel Gabriel'', attributed to the Vigevanese painter

Bernardino Ferrari Bernardino Ferrari (1495–1574) was an Italian painter of the 16th century. Born in Milan, he flourished in Vigevano, Italy, from 1514 to 1524 where many of his more well known works were produced, the best of which are located in the Vigevano Cat ...

. The fourth chapel on the left exhibits a ''Virgin and Child and Saints'' by the 16th-century Venetian school and a 15th-century fresco representing ''St Augustine''Comune of Mortara
tourist itinerary.

References

Churches in Mortara Renaissance architecture in Lombardy 16th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Italy Roman Catholic churches completed in 1596 1596 establishments in Italy {{Italy-RC-church-stub