San Giovanni in Canale, Piacenza, Basilica in Piacenza, Italy.
San Giovanni in Canale presents a three-nave structure with cylindrical brick columns and octagonal junctions, featuring wooden trusses in the western section and cross vaults in the eastern part that showcase traditional Lombard-Piacentine architectural elements.
Founded by the Dominican order around 1220 through community donations, the church served as the seat of the Inquisition tribunal from the 16th century until 1769, playing a central role in ecclesiastical judicial proceedings throughout northern Italy.
The basilica houses remarkable artworks including frescoes by Sebastiano Galeotti from 1721-1722, paintings by Gaspare Landi in the neoclassical chapel, and the 14th-century marble sarcophagus of Alberto Scotti crafted from Verona breccia.
Located on Via Beverora in Piacenza, the church remains open for worship and visitor access, having undergone major restoration between 1937-1958 that restored its original Renaissance features and structural integrity.
The church uniquely served dual functions as both a religious center and an inquisitorial courthouse, with its proximity to the former Templar church of Santa Maria del Tempio creating a complex of contrasting religious orders.
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