Itinerari

Church Santi Giovanni e Reparata

Outside of Hotel Universo, turn left and you will find Piazza San Giovanni (St. John's Square) right before you.

It was the first see of the bishops of the diocese.  At the beginning of the 8th century the dignity of cathedral was transferred to San Martino and it retained the right to the baptismal font. The current layout mostly dates back to the reconstruction of the second half of the 12th century, but its origins are much more ancient.

The complex of Santa Reparata was built in the 5th century in an area where a Roman settlement once stood. Around the 6th century the complex took on the function of cemetery, but in the 8th century the church was opened again. In the9th century a crypt was opened to host the relics of St. Pantaleon, which were found in 1714. Between the 10th and 11th centuries a new series of works were carried out.

At the end of the 17th century the chapel of St. Ignatius designed by Domenico Martinelli was opened on the left side: it is one of the most interesting baroque creations in Lucca. It is entirely coated with polychrome marbles with fresco decorations in the dome portraying the Glory of St. Ignatius.