Lanciano Cathedral
| Lanciano Catedral Basilica Cattedrale della Madonna del Ponte |
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West front of the cathedral, with the campanile to the left
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| Basic information | |
| Location | Lanciano |
| Geographic coordinates | 42°13′51″N 14°23′27″E / 42.230783°N 14.390764°ECoordinates: 42°13′51″N 14°23′27″E / 42.230783°N 14.390764°E |
| Rite | Roman Rite |
| State | Italy |
| Province | Archdiocese of Lanciano-Ortona |
| Region | Abruzzo |
| Country | Italy |
| Architectural description | |
| Architect(s) | Eugenio Michitelli |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Architectural style | Neoclassical |
| Groundbreaking | 18th century |
| Completed | 18th century |
Lanciano Cathedral (Italian: Basilica Cattedrale della Madonna del Ponte) dedicated to the Virgin Mary as Santa Maria del Ponte ("Saint Mary of the Bridge") is the duomo of Lanciano in Chieti, Italy, and the cathedral church of the Archdiocese of Lanciano-Ortona. In February 1909 Pope Pius X raised it to the status of minor basilica.
The unique characteristic of this church, reflected in its name, lies in the fact that it is built on top of three arches of a Roman bridge, built by Diocletian.
The citizens of Lanciano decided to erect a church in honour of the Madonna in 1389. It was initially called Oratorio di Maria Santissima del Ponte (Oratory of the Most Holy Mary of the Bridge) and then Santa Maria delle Grazie (Saint Mary of the Graces).
In 1088, during reconstruction work on the bridge after an earthquake, a statue of the Madonna and Child was discovered and named the Madonna of the bridge. The statue was in fact an 8th-century Byzantine icon, probably hidden in an arch of the bridge during the iconoclasm.
The church was built in the 14th century. At the beginning of the 17th century the campanile was built by Tommaso Sotardo of Milan. In 1785, some work was done to enrich the interior.
It was entirely rebuilt in the 18th century, under the direction of the engineer Eugenio Micchitelli, who demolished the pre-existing church. The facade of the new church was begun in 1819, but the upper part of it was never completed.
The church received further renovation work between 1942 and 1943.
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Wikipedia