Church of San Michele in Foro

The Church of San Michele in Foro is a church in Romanesque style, located in the homonymous square, Piazza San Michele, in Lucca.

SHORT HISTORY

In the 8th century, in the middle of the ancient Roman forum, a church dedicated to San Michele (Archangel Michael) was built, together with a monastery and a hospital.

Around 1070, by the will of Pope Alessandro II, the reconstruction of the church began, but the structure was completed only in the 14th century. At the beginning of the 13th century, the works were carried out by the architect Guidetto.

The new church had three naves, delimited by columns with Corinthian capitals, and an apse. The bell-tower was built around the same time, but was later shortened by Giovanni dell’Agnello, Doge of Pisa between 1364 and 1368, because the sound of its bells could be heard from Pisa.

During the Middle Ages, the access to the church was made by crossing a wooden bridge, called Ponte al Foro, which passed over a small canal known as Fossa Natali.

ART AND ARCHITECTURE

San Michele in Foro is a church with a Latin cross plan, built in Romanesque style. The facade is adorned with four levels of loggias and surmounted by a large marble statue of the Archangel Michael, with metal plated wings, in the act of defeating the dragon with a lance. On the sides, there are two angels.

The exterior of the church is marked, on the lower part, by blind arches on columns with capitals. The interior has three naves, with a transept and a semicircular apse. Under the altar, the crypts can be found.

Inside, there are kept works like Madonna and Child in enamelled terracotta by Andrea della Robbia, a painting by Filippino Lippi representing the Saints Girolamo, Sebastiano, Rocco and Elena, and a relief of the Virgin sculpted by Raphael da Montelupo.

HOW TO GET THERE

Basilica of San Michele in Foro is located about 900 meters away from the Lucca railway station. The closest bus stop is San Salvatore, located about 120 meters away from the church, on the route of LAM Verde.