The Basilica di Santa Giulia in Bonate Sotto, Lombardy, Italy, is a medieval former church. Built in the early 12th century, the basilica was once the center of an abbey. Today, only the apse area remains of the original structure in a short plain outside the town.
The area without the ceiling is now home to a cemetery. The central apse was frescoed in 1795 by the Swiss painters Baldassarre and Vincenzo Angelo Orelli. Notable are the sculpted capitals, which feature geometric, animal, or human figures, while the residual exterior decoration includes small columns and Lombard bands.
According to local tradition, the church was founded by St. Julia of Corsica or the Lombard queen Theodelinda. It is mentioned in a letter from 1129 by Pope Honorius II as the church in Lesina which has not been consecrated yet. The abbey was abandoned together with the church around the 14th century.
Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons
Written by Nicolo Ciampini
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