San Michele in Foro Photo: San Michele in Foro

San Michele in Foro is a Roman Catholic Church in Lucca built on the site of the ancient forum. Until 1370, the year it was held the meeting of the Consiglio Maggiore – the Main Board, the most important city Assembly. The Church dedicated to the Archangel Michael.

The first mention of San Michele in Foro are 795-th year. Later, in 1070, the year, the Church was rebuilt by order of Pope Alexander II. Today attracts the attention of the facade of the temple, dated to the 13th century, with its huge sculptures and inlays, most of which was rebuilt in the 19th century. In the lower part of the facade visible false arches, the Central arch of the main entrance to the Church. In the upper part, built with the use of significant amounts of iron to withstand strong winds, there are four rows of small loggias. And on the top with a 4-metre statue of St. Michael the Archangel, framed by two angels. According to the legend, on the finger of one of the angels was once a huge diamond. In the lower right corner of the facade shows the statue of the Madonna of work Matteo was Civitali – it was made to commemorate the end of plague 1476-year.

Inside San Michele in Foro consists of a Central nave and two side aisles with a transept and a semicircular apse. The nave is supported by monolithic columns forming an arcade. The South transept rises the bell tower, built in the 12th to 14th centuries, with single, double and triple arched Windows. The last floor of the bell tower was demolished during the reign of Giovanni Dell'agnello, the Doge of Pisa.

Among the works that adorn the Church - terracotta Madonna and Child by Luca della Robbia and the Saints Filippo Lippi.

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