Visita à Basílica de SANTO ANTONIO, em Pádua Itália. (Programa: Peregrinando com os Arautos)

The Basilica of Saint Anthony of Padua (Brazilian Portuguese) or Basilica of Saint Anthony of Padua (European Portuguese) (Italian: Basilica di Sant'Antonio di Padova) is the largest church in the city of Padua, Italy. Although it receives Catholic pilgrims from all over the world, it is not the city's cathedral. It is known simply as "il Santo" (the Saint), and is administered by the Franciscan Conventual Friars. Construction is believed to have begun between 1234 and 1238, shortly after the death of Saint Anthony of Lisbon, initially consisting of only one nave. Later, side aisles were added, and it was completed in 1310. According to his will, the saint was buried in the small church of Santa Maria Mater Domini and near a convent he founded in 1229. This church was incorporated into the current basilica under the name Cappella della Madonna Mora (Chapel of the Dark Madonna).[1] Front view of the Basilica of Saint Anthony of Padua The basilica is a gigantic building without a defined architectural style, although Romanesque and Gothic features are predominant. Its domes reveal Byzantine influence. Inside, the style becomes even more complex, with numerous funerary monuments and Renaissance and Baroque altars, decorated with sculptures and paintings. The Cappella del Santissimo Sacramento is the tomb of the famous condottiero (mercenary) Gattamelata and his son Giannantonio. Relics of Saint Anthony are found in the Chapel of the Treasury. The saint's body, which originally lay in the Madonna Mora chapel, received a special chapel during the Renaissance, created by a group of important artists, including Tullio Lombardo, Antonio Lombardo and Jacopo Sansovino, with sculptures by Tiziano Aspetti. The basilica also contains several notable images of the Madonna. Other works include the magnificent Easter candelabrum of 1515 by Andrea Briosco; the six statues of saints on the altar, by Donatello; and the Crucifixion, by Altichiero da Zevio, one of the most important works of the late 14th century. Attached to the basilica are a cloister and the Oratory of Saint George, with a large cycle of frescoes by Altichiero.[1]