San Giovanni Battista, Catholic church in Riomaggiore, Italy
San Giovanni Battista is a church in Riomaggiore built in 1340 by Bishop Antonio Fieschi, as a plaque on its facade records. Its right side preserves two Gothic portals with zoomorphic and anthropomorphic carvings from the Romanesque era, close to Antelami culture. After a collapse, it was lengthened and given a neo-Gothic facade in 1870–1871, keeping the 14th-century white Carrara marble rose window. The interior has three naves with pointed arches.
The church was founded in 1340 and has served as a central place of worship in Riomaggiore ever since. It has endured through centuries of changes in the village while remaining an anchor point for the community.
The parish church holds the feast of its patron, John the Baptist, on 24 June, when Riomaggiore's community gathers for the celebration. Inside, visitors can see the 1663 marble pulpit with a 1530 relief of Saint Martin and the poor, flanked by Saints Anne and Joachim, and the 1851 Agati organ behind the main altar.
The church stands in the upper part of Riomaggiore's historic centre, on via Pecunia. From the marina, follow the main street uphill through the village; the route is steep and stepped. The facade faces the street, and the entrance is directly off it.
The 1340 founding is recorded on a plaque set into the facade, which names Bishop Antonio Fieschi of Luni as the patron. On the right flank, two Gothic portals carry zoomorphic and anthropomorphic carvings from the Romanesque period, linked to the Antelami workshop tradition.
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