Basilica di San Tommaso Apostolo
 Exterior view |
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| Basic data | |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| place | Ortona , Italy |
| diocese | Archdiocese of Lanciano-Ortona |
| Patronage | Apostle Thomas |
| Building history | |
| completion | 1127 |
| Function and title | |
| 42 ° 21 '25.8 " N , 14 ° 24' 16" E | |
The Basilica di San Tommaso Apostolo is a church in Ortona in the Italian region of Abruzzo . It is co- cathedral of the Archdiocese of Lanciano-Ortona and the burial place of the Apostle Thomas , to whom it is also consecrated. The relics have been kept here since the 13th century . In December 1859, Pope Pius IX. it to the Basilica minor .
history
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The cathedral basilica was built on top of an old Roman temple. After the destruction by the Normans in 1060, it was rebuilt. After the church was destroyed by an earthquake, it was consecrated to Santa Maria degli Angeli on November 10, 1127 after being rebuilt .
The bones of the apostle Thomas have been kept in the church since September 6, 1258. Leone and his companions brought the relics and the tombstone here from the Greek island of Chios .
On February 17, 1427, Johannes Capistranus pacified this church between the cities of Lanciano and Ortona .
In 1566 the church was attacked by the Turks and set on fire. The apostle's relics remained intact. In 1570, after the re-establishment of the Ortona diocese, the church became a cathedral , and Giandomenico Rebiba , a relative of Scipione Rebiba , became a bishop.
In 1799 the church was attacked by the French. It was later restored.
On November 5, 1943, Luigi Carbone, vicar general of the diocese, Pietro Di Fulvio, pastor of San Tommaso, and Don Tommaso Sanvitaleno met to discuss the whereabouts of the silver bust. They didn't know what the Germans were up to with the bust. So they decided to wall up the bust on the second floor of the bell tower. On the same day, Nicola Di Fulvio, brother of the pastor, and Peppino Valentinetti walled up the bust in great secrecy. After the end of the war, Ortona suffered more than 1,300 civilian casualties and the loss of the historical building fabric. Most of the cathedral was destroyed. After the fighting in Ortona was over, the relics, which were walled in the main altar, were taken to the rectory in Rione Castello on January 11, 1944. On Jul 16, 1945, the relics were shown again to the public on a stage on Cathedral Square.
After the reconstruction, the cathedral was consecrated on September 5, 1949 by Gioacchino Di Leo , Bishop of Ortona, and Federico Tedeschini .
architecture
Previous construction
Photos from the early 20th century show the state from the 18th century before the destruction of World War II. The basic shape was that of a Latin cross .
On the left was a clock tower for the hour strike. To the right of the facade stood the actual bell tower, which was a little smaller.
The dome was slightly lower and smaller in diameter than the current dome.
Inside there were frescoes that were reconstructed in the current church. The chapel with the crypt of St. Thomas was in the same place as it is today. It just had more frescoes. The golden coffin with the relics was preserved.
Exterior architecture
The basilica is elongated and is thus based on the large Apulian basilicas that were built at the beginning of the 13th century.
The old facade with nine columns from the 14th century and the dome from the 18th century was destroyed in World War II and rebuilt in 1947. Only the Secondario portal comes from the Staufer period .
The main portal faces the cathedral square, which was rebuilt after the war using the rubble. It is a work by Nicola Mancine (1311). The lunette shows Mary with the Child , John the Baptist and John the Evangelist . The use of a certain limestone from certain quarries has been handed down since the 13th century. This is particularly resistant to the sea air.
On the facade there are pointed arches and capitals from the Staufer period. The big bell from 1605 is also kept in the new bell tower. The apse dates from the 14th century.
Inside
The vault of the central nave was built in the 18th century, while the apse dates from the 14th century. In the crypt under the sanctuary is a copper urn with the apostle's tombstone in Greek script. The frescoes in the dome are by the painter Luciano Bartoli. The figure of Saint Matthew by Antonio Piermatteo is the only one that has survived after the basilica was destroyed. The pictures in the cloister are by the Orthodox artist Stefano Durate. The hanging cross in the crypt was made by the sculptor Aldo D'Adamo.
Chapel of St. Thomas
Inside are the stucco reliefs from the first half of the 19th century by Vincenzo Perez . In the chapel is a reliquary bust with some skull bones of St. Thomas. It is now the third bust, as the first was stolen by mercenary militias in 1528 and the second by the French in 1799.
Sacrament chapel
In the sacrament chapel there is a stucco work of the Last Supper from the first half of the 19th century. The oil paintings on the wall are by the painter Franco Sciusco from 1985.
literature
- Tommaso uno dei dodici in Ortona. Azienda Autonoma di Soggiorno e Turismo di Ortona
Web links
- Official website of the Basilica
- Chiesa di San Tommaso (Ortona) on Movement, Technology & Innovation
Individual evidence
- ^ Basilicas in Italy, Vatican City State, San Marino. Retrieved June 9, 2019 .
- ^ Pino Giusto: Basilica. Retrieved June 9, 2019 (Italian).
- ↑ Prima Comunione 2019. Retrieved June 9, 2019 (Italian).
- ↑ Super User: MUSEO DIOCESANO DI ORTONA - Presentazione - Museo Diocesano Ortona. Retrieved June 9, 2019 (Italian).
- ↑ Pino Giusto: traslazione. Retrieved June 9, 2019 (Italian).
- ↑ Pino Giusto: scientifica Ricognizione. Retrieved June 9, 2019 (Italian).