The Basilica dei Dodici Apostoli

The Basilica dei Dodici Apostoli, also known as Basilica di San Bassiano, is an old church located just outside Lodi Vecchio, in the diocese of Lodi. It was the first place of worship in the Diocese of Lodi and has stood the test of time, surviving two destructions of Lodi antica by the Milanesi in 1111 and 1158. The basilica was consecrated in 378 by San Bassiano, the first bishop and patron of the Diocese of Lodi. At the time of construction, the basilica was located outside the city of Laus Pompeia.

Sant'Ambrogio was present at the consecration of the basilica. After the death of San Bassiano, who was buried in the Basilica, it became known by his name. Following the assignment to a community of Benedictines, the basilica was rebuilt in the 14th century under the impulse of the ecclesiastical and civil authorities of the nearby city of Lodi. In the centuries that followed, the church underwent a gradual decline.

Restored in the late 19th and mid 20th centuries, it is now recognized as an important artistic and religious monument. The exterior of the basilica is characterized by the facade. The central part of the facade, between two high semicircular counterforts, presents a portal with a slightly strombato lunette, a circular rose window, and a monofora a tutto sesto. In an edicola above the monofora is the statue of San Bassiano. The two lateral sections of the facade, taller than the internal lateral aisles, open from the bottom into a monofora a tutto sesto, a rose window, and a pointed bifora. Five acroteria crown the facade.

The interior of the church has three aisles, with the lateral ones having four bays and the central one having five, covered with cross vaults; the last bay of the central aisle, which is shorter, is covered with a barrel vault. A bas-relief from 1323 is located in one of the minor aisles. The walls and vaults of the church are decorated with frescoes from the 1320s attributed to the artist of San Bassiano, funded by the various corporations of the city. Among the frescoed subjects are four agricultural carts drawn by pairs of oxen, painted on a background of stars and flowers.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons