The most beautiful churches cathedrals basilicas and chapels Italy

This rich and recently renovated parish church is one of the main sights of Caulonia. It has retained precious elements of medieval architecture, frescoes of the th and th centuries as well as th-century tombstones. The church also houses the tomb of Vincenzo Carafa (1488).

Rebuilt in 1795, the cathedral preserves some traces of its origins, including a campanile dating back to 1608. Inside, some beautiful frescoes of the th and th centuries as well as th-century canvases; the crypt, of medieval times, houses Byzantine frescoes and a wooden crucifix of the th century.

The main attraction of this church lies in its facade, the base of which is the breakthrough of three stone portals dating from the th century.

It is the church of a monastery whose remains are still visible. Built in 1191, under the direction of Joachim de Flore, it was reorganized in the th century along with the rest of the abbey. The grand portal of its facade dates back to that time. Older and also interesting, the interior houses a remarkable apse, decorated with ogival windows and a flower, as well as a double row of side chapels (recast in baroque times). The medieval crypt of medieval origin, where the tomb of Giovanni in Fiore was found, also deserves to be visited.

The church has an interesting crypt built by basilian monks.

Perfect example of rococo style, with a richly decorated façade dating back to 1728.

An isolated church, a splendid remnant of the village of Anglone, which was so Byzantine and disappeared in 1310. This city is mentioned only in documents dating from the Swabian era. The church of Romano-Gothic style was built between 1080 and the th century. The place is as fascinating as the mystery surrounding its origins…

This is the largest cave church in the area, with a facade of the Gothic-Gothic style made in 1303 by Leonio di Taranto. It is recognizable by its three porticos and its beautiful corniche flanked by small arches. Not far from there, also excavated in the rock, is the small church of Cristo alla Gravinella, whose facade is the th century.

This cave church, known as the "Sistine Chapel" of the cave churches, reveals frescoes of the th century Original Sin, a unique testimony of the art of the Middle Ages in the Mediterranean.

Founded well before 1099, the church of Cesana was reorganized in the th century (bell tower). Its portal is in Renaissance style and with Lombardy inspiration. Its caissons ceiling is the work of a th-century French carpenter, François Ruas. The church houses a very beautiful collection of carved wooden objects dating back to the th and th centuries.

Founded in 1505, it was the theatre of the struggles between Catholic communities in the valley and Protestant communities. There is a stone staircase. The entrance gate is marble and, on the south-east side, below the second window, was once a door, currently murée, that people called "the dead door".

Perched at the top of a hill, south of Panzano in Chianti, this pretty, intimate church dating back to the year 1000 also houses a small religious community. His works of art and paintings are worth a visit, as well as the view from the flowerbedof the surrounding hilly countryside. Benches await you there for a moment of meditation, in a quiet place. The façade portico, with its sandstone columns, was built in the 16th century. Concerts or conferences are regularly organised on Sunday afternoons.

This gigantic building, of which only the northern half remains, was undertaken by Emperor Maxentius and completed by Constantine. It was the seat of the prefecture at the beginning of the 4th century. The entrance was through the Sacred Way and the basilica extended over 6,000 ^m2, entirely decorated with marble. The tiles were made of gilded bronze. There were also colossal statues such as that of Constantine, of which only the head and a hand remain in the courtyard of the Conservative palace.

Nicolas V commissioned the decoration of the Nicoline chapel from Fra Angelico, who painted the frescoes and vault from 1447 to 1451. At the time, the chapel was intended for the private use of the Pontiff, who celebrated Mass there in complete privacy. It is therefore probably the Pope himself who chose the iconographic declination around the two figures of Saint Lawrence and Saint Stephen.

For reasons of paint protection, the chapel can only be seen behind a barrier that prevents access.