Antica basilica di San Giovanni Battista, Minor basilica in Monza, Italy
The San Giovanni Battista Basilica in Monza is a religious building with three naves separated by columns and divided into sections by side chapels. Lombard artists decorated these chapels over the course of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, creating artworks that remain visible to visitors today.
Queen Theodelinda founded the original structure in the sixth century as a chapel for the royal palace located nearby in Monza. Over time, the building was transformed and expanded, eventually receiving its current layout and artistic decorations in later centuries.
The basilica serves as a living center where religious rituals and local traditions are practiced today. People gather here to participate in ceremonies that connect them to the spiritual life of the community.
The building is open for visits during certain hours, and an adjoining eighteenth-century cloister provides access to historical religious objects on display. Visitors should allow time to explore both the artistic details inside and the treasures housed in the connected spaces.
The bell tower holds eight bells cast in 1741 that ring according to a specific traditional method used only in this region. This ringing style gives the basilica a distinctive sound heard across the city.
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