5 things to see in Lanciano

Just over 25 kilometers from our vacation homes in Abruzzo by the sea is Lanciano, a city rich in history and monuments of extraordinary beauty. It has always been the most lively and active center of Frentania, one of the most important historical regions in Abruzzo. It stands on three hills, two of which were joined in Roman times by the Diocletian Bridge. It boasts a charming historic center, divided into four medieval-era neighborhoods (Lancianovecchia on Colle Erminio, Civitanova and Sacca on Colle della Selva, and Borgo on Colle Pietroso) that fan out around Piazza del Plebiscito.

What to see in Lanciano? Here are 5 things not to be missed!

CHURCH OF SAINT MARY MAJOR

Of particular interest is the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore, the most important Abruzzi example of the French Gothic style imported in the 13th century. Erected in 1227 on an earlier 11th-century structure, it was transformed in the early 14th century by the Lanciano architect Francesco Petrini, to whom we owe the magnificent portal with deep splay (which houses the lunette with the crucifixion of Christ, St. John and the Madonna) and the splendid rose window that characterize the main facade. The interior is rich in works of art, including the valuable triptych with the Madonna and Child attributed to Girolamo Galizzi da Santacroce and the impressive gilded silver processional cross made by Abruzzo goldsmith Nicola da Guardiagrele.

CHURCH OF SAINT FRANCIS

The Church of St. Francis, also known as the Shrine of the Eucharistic Miracle, is one of the first conventual churches that arose in Abruzzo. Built in 1258 in Romanesque-Burgundian style on the site of the Church of St. Legonziano (7th/8th cent.), it was remade in Baroque forms in the 18th century. The testimony of the oldest Eucharistic miracle in the Catholic world is enshrined here. Around the 8th century, one day a monk while celebrating Mass in what was then the Church of St. Legonziano doubted the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist, and suddenly the host and wine turned into flesh and blood. The two relics, a thin membrane of flesh and 5 drops of clotted blood, are kept in a crystal ampulla and a silver monstrance of the Neapolitan school. The church is visited each year by thousands of worshippers from all over the world.

CATHEDRAL OF SAINT MARY OF THE BRIDGE

Another religious building not to be missed is the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Ponte, Lanciano’s main place of worship. Its history is closely linked to that of the Diocletian Bridge (3rd century AD). In 1088, during renovation work on the earthquake-damaged bridge, an ancient statue of Our Lady was found under the arches and placed in a niche on the bridge itself, later converted into a chapel. Growing popular devotion led, in the late 14th century, to the building of a church in place of the chapel, which was gradually enlarged over the centuries to its present size. The single-nave interior is decorated with a precious cycle of frescoes by Neapolitan painter Giacinto Diana.

DIOCESAN MUSEUM

The Lanciano Diocesan Museum is one of the most important museums of sacred art in the region. Opened to the public in 2002, it is housed in the spacious rooms of the 17th-century Seminary Palace. Its interior houses more than five hundred works from the vast artistic heritage of the Archdiocese of Lanciano Ortona, dating from the 12th to the 20th century. The layout is designed so that each room illustrates an aspect of local religious traditions in their artistic expression. Paintings, sculptures, goldsmithing, sacred vestments, votive offerings, wooden furniture, embroidery, manuscripts and precious bindings are displayed there. Among the most interesting pieces are a 15th-century processional cross by Nicola da Guardiagrele and the very rare Lanciano Chasuble, a 14th-century liturgical vestment of extraordinary beauty and exceptional state of preservation.

MUSEUM CENTER HOLY SPIRIT

Finally, the Santo Spirito Museum Complex is also worth a visit. It is based in the monumental complex of the Monastery of the Holy Spirit, one of the oldest buildings in the city. Its remains have survived centuries of mostly destructive events. Currently, the hub accommodates: the Archaeological Museum, which preserves exceptionally valuable artifacts, evidence of the city and its territory’s multi-millennial history; the permanent exhibition “The Splendor of the Image”, donation by collector Alfredo Paglione; a room for temporary exhibitions; and the “Vincenzo Bianco” conference hall, used for demonstrations and cultural events. Among the archaeological finds are grave goods from some pre-Roman burials and votive objects from an Italic shrine from the 3rd-2nd centuries B.C.

Photo Diocesan Museum of Lanciano © Ministry of Culture | Polo Museale Santo Spirito © MAB Lanciano