Basilica di Agliate, Romanesque basilica in Agliate, Carate Brianza, Italy
The Basilica dei Santi Pietro e Paolo in Agliate, a frazione of Carate Brianza, is a Romanesque church with a three-nave plan, each nave ending in an apse and entered through its own door. The central portal keeps two original jambs carved with an interlace motif. The bell tower, demolished and rebuilt at the end of the 19th century, alternates brick and cobblestone courses with stone corner inserts.
The basilica was probably built in stages between the late 10th and the 11th century, on an Ottonian-influenced Romanesque plan; it was long believed to be Carolingian. The octagonal dome was added in the 12th century, and the bell tower was demolished and rebuilt at the end of the 19th century. The columns and capitals of the interior are reused Roman pieces, and the second column on the left is cut from a Roman milestone whose inscriptions are still legible.
The basilica's interior frescoes are badly damaged and largely covered; surviving fragments show the Creation of Eve, the Annunciation, the Visitation, the Nativity and Jesus among the Doctors. The adjacent nine-sided baptistery keeps earlier frescoes, including a 14th-century Deposition. The church is the main Catholic place of worship in the hamlet of Agliate, in the comune of Carate Brianza.
Access is possible during daytime hours, though opening times may vary depending on religious services. It is wise to check beforehand whether special services are scheduled to avoid disappointment.
A capital on one of the left columns depicts an amphora with dolphins, likely originating from an ancient temple dedicated to a river deity. This antique motif often goes unnoticed by visitors but hints at the site's legendary past.
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