Twelve Apostles basilica, First Romanesque church building in Lodi Vecchio, Italy.

The Twelve Apostles basilica stands outside Lodi Vecchio, southeast of the town. Its exterior is in exposed brick, with a gabled facade restored between 1902 and 1908: a portal with a lunette, a circular rose window, a single arched window and, in a niche, a statue of Saint Bassianus between two tall semicircular buttresses. The interior has three naves with cross vaults, the last bay of the central nave covered by a barrel vault, and each nave ends in a semicircular apse.

The Basilica Apostolorum was consecrated on 1 January 378 by Saint Bassianus, first bishop of Lodi, with Saints Ambrose and Felix present. It survived the Milanese destructions of Laus Pompeia in 1111 and 1158; after the new Lodi was founded 6 km away, Bassianus's relics were moved to its cathedral. In the 14th century the church was rebuilt in Lombard Gothic style, and on 11 June 1875 it was recognized as an Italian national monument.

The walls and vaults carry frescoes from the 1320s attributed to the Master of San Bassiano, paid for in part by the city's guilds. Among the subjects are four farm carts, each drawn by a pair of oxen, painted against a background of stars and flowers.

The basilica is an active parish church with regular visiting hours that can be confirmed at local information offices or posted at the entrance. It is best to avoid visiting during active worship services if you prefer a quiet tour of the interior.

The 1323 bas-relief kept in the last bay of a side aisle is easy to miss. The frescoes of the 1320s, attributed to the Master of San Bassiano and partly paid for by the city's guilds, include four farm carts each drawn by a pair of oxen against a background of stars and flowers.