Brianza basilicas and churches: the Basilica of San Pietro al Monte

San Pietro al Monte and the Brianza mountains

The most important cultural locations that a tourist should visit in Brianza include the Basilica of San Pietro al Monte, an ancient construction in Romanesque style.

 

Its particular position at just over 600 metres high makes it a perfect destination both for culture lovers and mountain walkers.

 

In the municipality of Civate, in the province of Lecco, stands Mount Cornizzolo, one of the peaks of the Larian Triangle, and its slopes are precisely home to the Basilica of San Pietro al Monte and the Oratory of San Benedetto.

 

This is the first Benedictine complex in this area and it can be reached by walking for about an hour.

The interior of the Basilica and the Oratory of San Benedetto

The frescoes of the Basilica of San Pietro al Monte

Inside the Basilica you can see an important cycle of frescoes, based upon the themes of the Apotheosis of Jesus and the Triumph of the Righteous, both forming part of John’s Apocalypse.

In addition, the building holds another important fresco: Celestial Jerusalem. All frescoes are interconnected between them, forming a single great work of art.

 

Another element of particular artistic significance is the ciborium at the centre of the presbytery.

Located opposite the entrance stairway of the Basilica of San Pietro you can admire the Oratory of San Benedetto dating back to a period after the construction of the main building.

 

In this location a unique atmosphere is created thanks to the combination between nature and architecture which make it still today one of the world’s most evocative locations.