According to medieval tradition, the Basilica di San Giulio was the hundredth and final church founded around 390 AD by Saint Julius, who allegedly reached the island in Lake Orta by sailing on his cloak to vanquish pagan dragons. The present structure was erected in the 12th century following the Romanesque style of the old Novara Cathedral, standing over early Christian foundations destroyed in 962 during the siege led by Emperor Otto I against Queen Willa.
What to see
The exterior combines Romanesque elements with 17th-century additions, including an entrance pronaos topped by a serliana window. The main facade is framed by two 12th-century staircase towers with double-mullioned windows. At the eastern end, three semicircular apses and a detached six-story bell tower display architectural traits similar to the Fruttuaria Abbey. Inside, the three-aisled interior features groin vaults and two elevated matronei galleries linked by spiral staircases. The center of interest is the early 12th-century Romanesque ambon carved from green serpentine marble from Oira. Supported by four distinct columns, it displays the symbols of the Four Evangelists, scenes of beasts fighting, and a carved figure widely thought to represent Abbot William of Volpiano, who was born on the island in 962. The side walls feature votive frescoes from the 14th to 16th centuries, while the central vaults display Baroque paintings by Carlo Borsetti depicting the Trinity and Saint Julius in glory. Beneath the raised presbytery lies the 1697 crypt holding the relics of Saint Julius and his companions. The left wall also houses a Mascioni pipe organ.
Visiting
Visitors enter the basilica from the southern side, arriving from the island's boat jetty through a Renaissance portal and a vaulted covered stairway. Inside, staircases on either side of the presbytery lead down to the 1697 crypt containing the patron saint's remains. Today, the church forms part of an active Benedictine monastery complex.
Our editors' tip
Look closely at the floor near the pillars along the left side of the nave. Here lies the only surviving fragment of the church's original black-and-white medieval mosaic floor, which once depicted the signs of the Zodiac before being largely replaced in the 19th century.