San Giovanni Battista, Renaissance church in Loano, Italy
San Giovanni Battista is a church in Loano with an unusual ten-sided shape and a large dome that rises prominently over the city. The building is designed in Renaissance style and is crowned by a bronze statue of the Saint at its top, visible from the waterfront.
The Doria family, princes of Loano, built the church between 21 February 1633 and 28 March 1638; it was consecrated on 17 September 1662. Its dome was rebuilt after the 1887 earthquake, which had caused the previous roof to collapse.
The church is the seat of the vicariate of the same name in the Diocese of Albenga-Imperia. Its chapels hold seventeenth-century altarpieces tied to named painters: Luciano Borzone's Santa Barbara of 1642 and Orazio De Ferrari's San Sebastiano of 1639 stand in the first chapel on the right, while Giovanni Andrea Ansaldo's Nascita del Battista of 1625 hangs behind the main altar.
The church is open daily for visitors to explore the interior and artwork. It is best to visit outside of service times if you want to examine the architecture and decorations without interruption.
The bell tower belonged to the earlier parish church, abandoned and demolished in the early 17th century; its Gothic remains were later raised with a bell cell holding six bells tuned to E3. The tower stands against the adjoining Oratory of Nostra Signora del Rosario.
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