San Michele in Foro, Romanesque church in Lucca, Italy
San Michele in Foro is a Romanesque church on Piazza San Michele in the center of Lucca, Italy. The pale limestone facade rises higher than the nave behind it and displays four tiers of loggias, each tier supported by columns carved with different ornamental patterns.
Construction began in the 11th century on the site of an 8th-century church and stretched across three centuries. Work on the facade continued into the 14th century, which explains why different phases of Romanesque design remain visible today.
The name recalls the Roman forum that once stood beneath the square, marking the ancient center of civic life. Visitors today come to pray before the painted saints or listen to choral music that regularly echoes through the vaulted interior.
The building stands raised on the square of the same name, surrounded by medieval houses and low marble posts linked by metal chains. You can reach the square on foot within a few minutes from anywhere in the historic center.
A marble statue of Archangel Michael defeating a dragon stands roughly 4 meters (13 feet) tall at the top of the facade. Local stories claim that one finger of the figure holds a real diamond that glints in the night.
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