San Giovanni Battista, Minor basilica and collegiate church in Oneglia district, Imperia, Italy.
San Giovanni Battista is a minor basilica and collegiate church in Oneglia with notable baroque features throughout its structure. The building displays a grand facade and richly decorated interior spaces adorned with ornamental details and classical religious imagery.
Gaetano Amoretti designed the church, built from 1739 to 1759 on the site of an earlier church and consecrated in 1762. The 1887 Diano Marina earthquake damaged it, and Giacomo Agnesi reinforced its stability; interiors were restored in 1889. It became a minor basilica on 24 June 2017, the feast of Saint John the Baptist.
The church stands on the via and piazza named after it, long the centre of Oneglia's public life. Its patronal feast of Saint John the Baptist is celebrated on 24 June, the date on which it was raised to minor basilica in 2017. Inside, the coloured baroque decoration with gilding and frescoes contrasts with the near-monochrome neoclassical cathedral of Porto Maurizio.
Visitors can access the church during standard opening hours for viewing and prayer throughout the week. On weekends and religious holidays, schedules may vary, so it is advisable to confirm timing before planning your visit.
On the exterior wall of the apse, several metres above the ground, three cannonballs and a small plaque dated 1792 are set into the masonry. They recall 23 October 1792, when a French revolutionary fleet bombarded Oneglia in reprisal for the killing of an officer who had come ashore to negotiate.
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