| Pontifical Basilica of Saint Anthony of Padua | |
|---|---|
Basilica Pontificia di Sant'Antonio di Padova | |
 The Basilica of Sant'Antonio di Padova. | |
 Pontifical Basilica of Saint Anthony of Padua | |
| 45°24′05″N11°52′51″E / 45.4015°N 11.8809°E /45.4015; 11.8809 | |
| Location | Padua,Veneto, Italy |
| Denomination | Catholic Church |
| History | |
| Status | Pontificalminor basilica,International shrine |
| Dedication | St. Anthony of Padua |
| Architecture | |
| Groundbreaking | 1232 |
| Completed | 1310 |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Diocese of Padua |
| UNESCO World Heritage Site | |
|---|---|
_-_Cappella_del_beato_Luca_Belludi_-_Giusto_de%2527_Menabuoi.jpg) Cappella del beato Luca Belludi -Giusto de' Menabuoi | |
 Interactive map of Basilica of Saint Anthony, Padua | |
| Location | Padua,Veneto, Italy |
| Criteria | Cultural: (ii), (iii) |
| Reference | 1623 |
| Inscription | 2021 (44thSession) |
| Website | www |
| Coordinates | 45°24′05″N11°52′51″E / 45.4015°N 11.8809°E /45.4015; 11.8809 |
ThePontifical Basilica of Saint Anthony of Padua (Italian:Basilica Pontificia di Sant'Antonio di Padova) is aCatholic church andminor basilica inPadua,Veneto,Northern Italy, dedicated to SaintAnthony of Padua. The shrine is designated a Basilica by the privilege ofimmemorial status.
The shrine is not thecathedral of the city, which is designated to theCathedral-Basilica of Saint Mary of Padua. The basilica is known locally as "il Santo" and is one of thenational shrines recognized by theHoly See.[1]
Two chapels within the basilica - the Cappella di San Giacomo and the Cappella del Beato Luca Belludi - are part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Padua's fourteenth-century fresco cycles, inscribed in 2021. The Cappella di San Giacomo and the Cappella del beato Luca Belludi — are included in theUNESCO World Heritage SitePadua's fourteenth-century fresco cycles, inscribed in 2021.
Construction of the Basilica probably began around 1232,[1] just one year after the death ofSt. Anthony. It was completed in 1310 although several structural modifications (including the falling of the ambulatory and the construction of a newchoir screen) took place between the end of the 14th and the mid-15th century. The Saint, according to his will, had been buried in the small church ofSanta Maria Mater Domini, probably dating from the late 12th century and near which a convent was founded by him in 1229. This church was incorporated into the present basilica as theCappella della Madonna Mora (Chapel of the Dark Madonna).
The Basilica of Saint Anthony has long served not only as a place ofworship but also as a centre ofpilgrimage and religious learning. By the late medieval period, it had become a destination for pilgrims from across Europe, drawn by the veneration of Saint Anthony and the presence of his relics. Its role in devotional life was reinforced by the establishment of confraternities and charitable institutions connected to the basilica, which supported pilgrim care, education, and social services in the city ofPadua.
Basilica’s cultural influence also extended into art and scholarship. Over the centuries, it attracted artists, theologians, and musicians who contributed to the decoration, liturgy, and intellectual life of the church. This combination of religious significance and educational activity helped to solidify its position as one of the most important religious institutions in northern Italy.[2][3][4]
_-_Cappella_delle_reliquie.jpg)
Sant'Antonio is a giant edifice without a precise architectural style. Over the centuries, it has grown under a variety of different influences as shown by the exterior details. It displays a strong influence ofSt Mark's Basilica in Venice.[1]
The new basilica was begun as a single-naved church, like that ofSt Francis of Assisi, with an apsidal chancel, broad transepts and two square nave bays roofed with hemispherical domes like that ofSan Marco, Venice. The exterior style is a mixing of mainlyRomanesque andByzantine elements, with someGothic features.
Later in the 13th century, the aisles were added in a moreGothic style, the length of each nave bay being divided into two aisle bays with pointed arches and quadripartite vaults.
The eastern apse was also extended in the Gothic style, receiving a ribbed vault and nine radiating chapels in the French manner. Later also, the Treasury chapel was built in 1691 in theBaroque style byFilippo Parodi, a pupil ofBernini.
Externally, the brick facade has aRomanesque central section which was extended outwards when the aisles were built, acquiring in the process four deep Gothic recesses and an elegant arcaded balcony which stretches across the broad front of the building. The facade gable shows little differentiation between the nave and aisle, screening the very large buttresses that have the same profile and form a richly sculptural feature when the building is viewed from the side.
The domes, like the domes ofSt. Mark's Basilica, were raised in height externally, giving aByzantine appearance to the building, while the multitude of small belfries which accompany the domes recallTurkish minarets. Externally, at the main roof line each section of the building is marked by a low gable decorated with blind arcading in brick. These gables combine with the domes, the broad buttresses and the little towers to create a massive sculptural form, both diverse and unified in its conglomeration of features. An extra dimension is added to the facade by the huge plinth and dynamicEquestrian statue of Gattamelata byDonatello.[5]
Established in 1396 the Veneranda Arca di S. Antonio is the organisation tasked with the conservation and maintenance of the structure belonging to the Basilica di St. Anthony of Padua and its connected buildings.
The high altar is by Donatello.[6]The interior of the church contains numerous funerary monuments, some of noteworthy artistic value. The Chapel of theBlessed Sacrament (Cappella del Santissimo Sacramento, also known as Cappella Gattamelata), in the right aisle, houses the tomb of thecondottieroGattamelata and of his son Giannantonio. The bronzetabernacle is made byGirolamo Campagna.[7] This chapel, with its broad bands of polychrome and carved Gothic details, has had many stages of decoration, the final stage being the creation of an mosaic in the tall rear niche representing theHoly Spirit with rays of golden light descending against a background of intensely blue sky. This work was created byLodovico Pogliaghi between 1927 and 1936.
Relics of St Anthony are to be found in the ornate Baroque Treasury Chapel (begun in 1691). The body of the saint, which was in the Madonna Mora Chapel, has, from 1350, lain in a separate transept chapel, the Chapel of St Anthony, the interior decoration being attributed toTullio Lombardo, who also provided the sixth and seventh reliefs depicting the miracles of St Anthony (Miracle of the stingy man's heart,Miracle of the repentant man). The third reliefSaint bringing back to life a man who had been murdered is a masterpiece byGirolamo Campagna. The late-16th century statues are byTiziano Aspetti.[8]
The Basilica contains several important images of the Madonna. TheMadonna Mora is a statue of the Madonna with the Christ Child by the French sculptor Rainaldino di Puy-l'Evéque, dating from 1396. Her name refers to her black hair andolive skin tone, being interpreted as "swarthy".
TheMadonna del Pilastro is a mid-14th-century fresco byStefano da Ferrara, located on the pier adjacent the left aisle.
Among other sculptural work is the Easter candelabrum in the apse, finished in 1515 byAndrea Briosco and considered his masterwork. The high altar area features the bronzeMadonna with Child and six statues ofSaints byDonatello, who also executed four reliefs with episodes of life of St. Anthony.
To the right hand side of the nave, opposite the tomb of the Saint is the large Chapel of St. James, commissioned by Bonifacio Lupi in the 1370s in Gothic style, with frescoed walls depicting theStories of St. James and theCrucifixion byAltichiero da Zevio. There are severalfrescoes created byGirolamo Tessari.
The chin and tongue of St. Anthony are displayed in a goldreliquary at the Basilica.
The composerFrancesco Antonio Calegari served asmaestro di cappella in the 1720s.Giuseppe Tartini, the Baroque composer and violinist, also served as maestro di cappella in the 18th century. In 1872Luigi Bottazzo was appointed organist.
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