Basilica of Corpus Domini
Encyclopedia
The Basilica of Corpus Domini is a Roman Catholic church in Turin
, northern Italy
, built to celebrate the "Miracle of the Eucharist" which, according to various sources, occurred in 1453 during the war between the Duchy of Savoy
and France
.
and France. A group of French soldier had plundered the main church in Exilles
, a town in the Val di Susa. On 6 June, the day of the Feast of Corpus Christi
, they went to Turin to sell the booty. The donkey which transported the sacramental bread
from the Exilles' church fell on the ground and the Holy Spirit rose and illuminated the square from the air..
To celebrate the event, the painting of the Holy Name of Jesus
was painted on the four gates of the city but this was deemed insufficient, and in 1509 a small chapel was soon commissioned on the present church's site. However, nothing was built until 1521, when Innocenzo Cybo
, archbishop of Turin, ordered the construction of a small oratory of Matteo Sanmicheli. This was demolished in 1607 to make room to the modern basilica.
The design of the new church was commissioned to Ascanio Vitozzi
. Amedeo di Castellamonte
collaborated in the designing of the façade. Works began in 1607. In 1753 king Charles Emmanuel III of Savoy commissioned Benedetto Alfieri to restore the interior decoration and to ornament it with stuccoes.
, in typical Baroque style
. It is completed by statue of angels and saints by Bernardo Falconi, dating the to the late 17th century.
The interior has a single nave, and was largely renewed in the 18th century. The high altar is the original one, created by Francesco Lanfranchi in 1664. The interior also houses a slab marking the exact place of the miracle.
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
, northern Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, built to celebrate the "Miracle of the Eucharist" which, according to various sources, occurred in 1453 during the war between the Duchy of Savoy
Duchy of Savoy
From 1416 to 1847, the House of Savoy ruled the eponymous Duchy of Savoy . The Duchy was a state in the northern part of the Italian Peninsula, with some territories that are now in France. It was a continuation of the County of Savoy...
and France
History of France
The history of France goes back to the arrival of the earliest human being in what is now France. Members of the genus Homo entered the area hundreds of thousands years ago, while the first modern Homo sapiens, the Cro-Magnons, arrived around 40,000 years ago...
.
History
The event which led to the construction of the church occurred on 6 June 1453 during the war between Louis of SavoyLouis, Duke of Savoy
Louis I was Duke of Savoy from 1440 until his death.-Life:...
and France. A group of French soldier had plundered the main church in Exilles
Exilles
Exilles is a comune in the Province of Turin in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 60 km west of Turin, on the border with France...
, a town in the Val di Susa. On 6 June, the day of the Feast of Corpus Christi
Corpus Christi (feast)
Corpus Christi is a Latin Rite solemnity, now designated the solemnity of The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ . It is also celebrated in some Anglican, Lutheran and Old Catholic Churches. Like Trinity Sunday and the Solemnity of Christ the King, it does not commemorate a particular event in...
, they went to Turin to sell the booty. The donkey which transported the sacramental bread
Sacramental bread
Sacramental bread, sometimes called the lamb, altar bread, host or simply Communion bread, is the bread which is used in the Christian ritual of the Eucharist.-Eastern Catholic and Orthodox:...
from the Exilles' church fell on the ground and the Holy Spirit rose and illuminated the square from the air..
To celebrate the event, the painting of the Holy Name of Jesus
Holy Name of Jesus
In Christianity, the Holy Name of Jesus refers to the theological and devotional use of the name of Jesus. The reverence and affection with which Christians have regarded the Holy Name of Jesus goes back to the earliest days of Christianity....
was painted on the four gates of the city but this was deemed insufficient, and in 1509 a small chapel was soon commissioned on the present church's site. However, nothing was built until 1521, when Innocenzo Cybo
Innocenzo Cybo
Innocenzo Cybo was an Italian cardinal and archbishop.-Family and education:From the Genoese family Cibo or Cybo, in 1488 the Cybo family purchased Florentine citizenship for a considerable sum of money Innocenzo was born in Florence on 25 August 1491 to Franceschetto Cybo and...
, archbishop of Turin, ordered the construction of a small oratory of Matteo Sanmicheli. This was demolished in 1607 to make room to the modern basilica.
The design of the new church was commissioned to Ascanio Vitozzi
Ascanio Vitozzi
Ascanio Vitozzi was an Italian soldier, architect and military engineer....
. Amedeo di Castellamonte
Amedeo di Castellamonte
Amedeo di Castellamonte was an Italian architect, civil and military engineer.-Biography:He was born in Castellamonte...
collaborated in the designing of the façade. Works began in 1607. In 1753 king Charles Emmanuel III of Savoy commissioned Benedetto Alfieri to restore the interior decoration and to ornament it with stuccoes.
Overview
The church has a massive façade, with six pilasters and four columns supporting the entablatureEntablature
An entablature refers to the superstructure of moldings and bands which lie horizontally above columns, resting on their capitals. Entablatures are major elements of classical architecture, and are commonly divided into the architrave , the frieze ,...
, in typical Baroque style
Baroque architecture
Baroque architecture is a term used to describe the building style of the Baroque era, begun in late sixteenth century Italy, that took the Roman vocabulary of Renaissance architecture and used it in a new rhetorical and theatrical fashion, often to express the triumph of the Catholic Church and...
. It is completed by statue of angels and saints by Bernardo Falconi, dating the to the late 17th century.
The interior has a single nave, and was largely renewed in the 18th century. The high altar is the original one, created by Francesco Lanfranchi in 1664. The interior also houses a slab marking the exact place of the miracle.