LAVAGNA - Basilica di Santo Stefano

The churchyard is decorated with a precious risseu (polychrome sea pebble) pavement. To the left of the square is the Brignardello Portico, which leads to the nearby Monumental Cemetery. The building stands on the ruins of an earlier Fieschi castle and an older church (mentioned as early as the 10th century). The current structure, commissioned by the population and supported by the Archbishop of Genoa, Cardinal Stefano Durazzo, stands on the ruins of the pre-existing Fieschi castle and religious building. It is the work of Giovanni Battista or Gio Battista Ghiso, a celebrated architect of the Republic of Genoa, who followed or was inspired by a design by the more famous Gian Lorenzo Bernini. Thanks to a special tax on the sale of grain, imposed by the municipality of Lavagna, construction officially began with the laying of the cornerstone on August 15, 1650. Construction, which was attended by numerous volunteers from Lavagna, was completed in 1668, and the solemn consecration took place on October 18, 1703. The church features a white marble façade, a double staircase flanked by two lions holding the municipal coat of arms, and two asymmetrical bell towers. The interior has three naves with barrel vaults and lateral domes. Like the previous structure, the current building is divided into three naves. The high altar, dedicated to Saint Stephen, was sculpted by the Bocciardi brothers, with a marble statue of the saint by the 18th-century Genoese sculptor Pasquale Bocciardo. The two paintings, The Martyrdom and The Discovery of the Body of Saint Stephen, are by Carlo Fontana; the frescoes depicting the Ordination and Preaching of Saint Stephen are by Francesco Chiarella. Inside, important works by Domenico Piola (such as the Crucifixion), Sebastiano Galeotti, Carlo Fontana, and a marble statue of Saint Stephen by Giuseppe and Pietro Bocciardi are preserved. A Byzantine icon from the year 1000 is also present. Music by Whitesand Title: Cycle Of Time Links: Website - https://whitesandcomposer.com/ Support making these tracks -   / whitesand   Buy My Music - https://whitesand.bandcamp.com/ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3GXun... Filmed with PANASONIC S5II and INSTA360 X4 Filming date: March 2025 #lavagna #italy #liguria #italia