Chiesa e convento di Santa Lucia, Franciscan convent in Borgo Santa Lucia, Italy.
The Santa Lucia convent is a Franciscan monastery in Vicenza featuring a church and monastic buildings from different periods. The church contains four side chapels, while the monastery buildings display classical forms with Baroque details from the 17th century.
The Camaldolese built the church of Santa Lucia in 1433 after acquiring a site near Vicenza in 1314; in 1509 they moved their monastery and parish here from San Vito. The present monastery was rebuilt in 1608, the bell tower added in 1736, and the convent suppressed by the Venetian Republic on 12 September 1771. Reformed Franciscans bought the complex in 1830 and rebuilt the side chapels between 1836 and 1837.
The name comes from the oratory the Camaldolese built in 1314 after buying a building nearer the city, replacing the old church of San Vito. The high altar was consecrated to Saint Vitus, and the frescoes by Rocco Pittaco, painted in 1862, show the Twenty-Six Martyrs of Japan welcomed by Saint Francis and two scenes of the transport of Saint Lucy's body.
The complex is located in the Borgo Santa Lucia neighborhood and is easily accessible on foot. Visitors should note that the church may have specific hours tied to religious services, so checking ahead is helpful.
The church's bell tower was built in 1552 using rubble from the demolished abbey of San Vito, which stood where the non-Catholic cemetery is now. The main altar was consecrated to Saint Vitus, keeping the memory of the older church.
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