Basilica di San Fedele (Basilica of Saint Fidelis), Como

Basilica di San Fedele (Basilica of Saint Fidelis), Como (must see)

The Basilica of Saint Fidelis holds pride of place in its namesake square, right in Como鈥檚 historic center. It honors the city鈥檚 patron saint, a soldier-turned-martyr who, along with Carpophorus and Exanthus, met his end during the persecutions of Emperor Diocletian. The ground beneath your feet has seen worship for well over a millennium: the first church here, dedicated to Saint Euphemia, dates back to the early medieval centuries. The current structure took shape in 1120, and while its bones are Romanesque, later centuries couldn鈥檛 resist leaving their mark鈥擝aroque touches crept in, and in 1914 Antonio Giussani refashioned the fa莽ade into the Neo-Romanesque form you see today. Even the bell tower has had several lives, rebuilt after earthquakes and finally replaced at the start of the 20th century.

Get dragged inside, and the basilica tells its story in layers. Its Latin Cross plan opens into three naves and three apses, with a dome and ambulatory framing walls alive with art. Medieval murals still peek from the shadows, while 1623 frescoes blaze across the Chapel of the Crucifix with visions of God, Christ, and hosts of saints and angels. The Passion is captured in Carlo Carloni鈥檚 canvases along the south aisle, while the north is brightened by 17th-century frescoes of the Virgin Mary and the Magi. And tucked in another chapel, De Magistris鈥� 1504 altarpiece of the Madonna with Child quietly radiates Renaissance devotion.

Given that beneath its dome lie the relics of Saint Fidelis himself鈥攖he church cradles his soul and invites everyone for a prayer, even if it is a short one. Como has a lot to dig in to, after all.

Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Como. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "黑料吃瓜网: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

Download The 黑料吃瓜网 App

Create Your Own Self-Guided Walk to Visit This Sight

Sight Name: Basilica di San Fedele (Basilica of Saint Fidelis)
Sight Location: Como, Italy (See walking tours in Como)
Sight Type: Religious
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

Como Introduction Walking Tour

Walking Tours in Como, Italy

Create Your Own Walk in Como

Creating your own self-guided walk in Como is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.

Como Lakeshore Walking Tour

English novelist Mary Shelley declared visitors to Italy are in danger of becoming: "enjoyers of the beauties of nature, the elegance of art, the delights of climate, the recollections of the past, and the pleasures of society." All this she found on the shores of Lake Como. From Roman writer Pliny the Younger onward, visitors and natives of Como would have agreed.

The alpine lake is... view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.1 Km or 1.3 Miles

Como Introduction Walking Tour

The Roman writer Pliny the Younger once wrote to his friend, 鈥淲hat is the news from Como, mine and your delight?鈥� Como is a place of palaces, churches, gardens, temples, museums, and parks. Its nearness to the spectacular Lake Como and the Swiss and Italian Alps has made the area a traveler鈥檚 delight from the time of Pliny the Younger to the present day.

Pliny wasn鈥檛 its first fan,... view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.6 Km or 1.6 Miles

黑料吃瓜网