Basilica of St. Mary Major, Minor basilica and co-cathedral in Vercelli, Italy
The Basilica of St. Mary Major in Vercelli is a Neoclassical church with a tall, heavy facade marked by four pilasters and a pediment, designed by Battista Sassi in 1779. Its single nave, typical of Jesuit churches, holds four 18th-century side altars and a semicircular apse with a Carrara marble high altar of 1861. The sacristy keeps the Madonna delle Grazie, a repainted wooden panel possibly from the 11th or 12th century.
The Jesuits commissioned Filippo Juvarra in 1734 to design a church dedicated to the Holy Trinity. After the order was suppressed in 1773, the Savoy state took over the building. In 1775 the cathedral chapter exchanged the old, decaying Santa Maria Maggiore basilica for this unfinished church, which took its name and became co-cathedral. The facade was added in 1779 by Battista Sassi, and interior decoration was completed in 1861 under Giuseppe Locarni.
The basilica sits in a central location within Vercelli, making it easy to reach on foot while exploring the city's historic streets and surrounding areas. The interior space is open and accessible, with plenty of room to move around and observe the architectural details.
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