Founded between 350 and 375 AD outside the city walls by San Vittore, Piacenza's first bishop, the Basilica of Sant'Antonino served as the city's original cathedral until 850. Constructed in exposed brickwork and crowned by a prominent octagonal bell tower, this minor basilica carries deep historic significance: King Lothair II of Lotharingia was buried here in 869, and in 1183 its halls hosted Emperor Frederick Barbarossa and the Lombard League delegates to draft the preliminary Peace of Constance. Rebuilt in 1014 by Bishop Sigifredo following Hungarian invasions, the basilica was enhanced in 1350 with the northern Paradise porch by architect Pietro Vago, before 20th-century restorations by Giulio Ulisse Arata removed later Baroque alterations.
What to see
Built on an inverted Latin cross layout, the exterior features an 11th-century western facade alongside the northern entrance dominated by Pietro Vago's 1350 Portico del Paradiso. Inside the porch atrium sits a Romanesque marble doorway carved between 1171 and 1172, flanked by telamons representing Adam and Eve. Above the crossing rises the octagonal campanile detailed with three tiers of double-arched bifora windows and hanging cornices. Interior six-part Gothic vaulting dates from 1495, while the presbytery houses an urn with the relics of Saints Antonino and Vittore beneath the high altar. Camillo Gavasetti painted the presbytery vault in 1622 with the Triumph of Jesus, accompanied by five canvases by Flemish artist Robert De Longe and 18th-century carved choir stalls by Giovanni Ceti. Side chapels showcase works by Bernardo Castello, Giovan Francesco Ferrante, Bernardo Ferrari, and a 1784 statue by Giovanni Prati. The Capitol Museum displays medieval altarpieces, De Longe's oil sketches, and paintings attributed to Giulio Cesare Procaccini and Il Malosso.
Our editors' tip
Look closely at the 12th-century Romanesque portal inside the Paradise porch to see the sculpted telamons of Adam and Eve, then visit the Capitol Museum inside the 16th-century rooms to view artwork saved during early 20th-century alterations.