The Basilica of Sant'Abbondio is a Romanesque-style 11th-century

Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

basilica church located in

Como Como (, ; , or ; ) is a city and (municipality) in Lombardy, Italy. It is the administrative capital of the Province of Como. Nestled at the southwestern branch of the picturesque Lake Como, the city is a renowned tourist destination, ce ...

, region of

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Description

The Basilica was built in the on a previous 5th-century

early Christian Early Christianity, otherwise called the Early Church or Paleo-Christianity, describes the historical era of the Christian religion up to the First Council of Nicaea in 325. Christianity spread from the Levant, across the Roman Empire, and be ...

church dedicated to Saints

Peter Peter may refer to: People * List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Peter (given name) ** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church * Peter (surname), a su ...

and

Paul Paul may refer to: People * Paul (given name), a given name, including a list of people * Paul (surname), a list of people * Paul the Apostle, an apostle who wrote many of the books of the New Testament * Ray Hildebrand, half of the singing duo ...

. It was built by order of St. Amantius of Como, third bishop of the city, and was meant to house several relics associated with Peter and Paul, which Amantius had brought from Rome. In the 9th century the complex was dedicated to Bishop Abundius, who had been buried there four centuries earlier. The basilica acted as the bishop's seat until 1007. Six years later bishop Alberic moved the seat within the walls of Como. The basilica was then entrusted to the Benedictines who, between 1050 and 1095, dismantled the early Christian church and rebuilt it in the Romanesque style. In 1095 the newly constructed basilica was consecrated by

Pope Urban II Pope Urban II (; – 29 July 1099), otherwise known as Odo of Châtillon or Otho de Lagery, was the head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 12 March 1088 to his death. He is best known for convening the Council of Clermon ...

. Since 1863, the Basilica has been the subject of a major restoration project conducted by Serafino Balestra. Balestra, a teacher at the seminaries of Como, sought to restore the Romanesque appearance of the Basilica by removing additions made during the 16th century. One prominent restoration was the rebuilding of one of the bell towers. In 1784 the northern bell tower had almost completely collapsed, Balestra had the tower rebuilt to match the surviving tower, despite there being no record of the appearance of the tower before it's damage. The restoration also unearth the foundation of the 5th-century early Christian church, which Balestra marked with marble slabs that are still visible on the Basilica's floor today. The Basilica has two notable bell towers rising at the end of the external aisles, in the middle of the nave. The sober façade, once preceded by a portico, has seven windows and a portal. Notable is the external decoration of the choir's windows. There are also Romanesque bas-reliefs and, in the apse, a notable cycle of mid-14th-century frescoes. Under the high altar are the Abundius' relics. The Municipality of Como purchased the Basilica in 1974, and has since overseen its restoration and redevelopment. Currently, it is the seat of the Faculty of Law of the University of Insubria.

References

External links

Page at Arte nel Medioevo

Sant'Abbondio Un Monastero e Como
(in Italian)
Basilica di S. Abbondio
(in Italian) {{DEFAULTSORT:Abbondio Como Abbondio Former cathedrals in Italy 11th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Italy Buildings and structures completed in 1095 Churches completed in the 1090s Romanesque architecture in Lombardy Churches in the province of Como