• Art & Culture
    • Villages
    • Religious Tourism

Lomello and its Christian buildings

Village of strategical importance since ancient times, here you can discover the great Romanesque Lombard architecture

Lomello was founded in ancient times by the Levis, probably a Ligurian tribe: the name derives from Laevum mehl, “fortified place of the Levis”, and in the Roman age it became Laumellum.

The Romans, great road builders, created routes which crossed Lomellina in direction Transalpine Gaul: Lomello became a mansio, a place of rest, refreshment and change of horses for travelers. The city was then fortified in late Roman age, to face the invasion of the Visigoths.

Centuries later, in the Lombard period, Lomello maintained a strategic importance as castrum, and tradition has it that queen Theodelinda and Agilulf got married here.
The construction of the Baptistery of San Giovanni ad Fontes probably dates to the 7th century. The small building is built of bricks and has a Greek cross plan, the arms alternating with semi-cylindrical barrel-vaulted niches. Inside, the room is octagonal, a symbol of Resurrection: the sides symbolize the seven days of creation and the eighth day of the Last Judgment. The light gets in from eight windows, which on the outside are combined with cuspidated niches, and from the lantern that culminates at the top of the dome.

The hexagonal baptismal font is unusual in the Lombard area, but typical of regions such as Istria or the area of Aquileia, where it was introduced by workers of Middle Eastern origin.

At the beginning of the 11th century, counts from Pavia Palace settled in the castle of Lomello following the rebellion of Pavia. It was then that the basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore was built - or perhaps rebuilt.

Of imposing proportions, it is an early example of Lombard Romanesque, work of workers updated on the language of the great French abbey of Cluny. The three naves are divided by powerful pillars and end in three apses. Large arches mark the rhythm of the central nave, visually lightened by paired windows, in perspective flight towards the altar. Outside we appreciate the decoration of Lombard bands and niches on the transept and apse. As the name suggests, they will become typical of Lombard sacred architecture of this period.

The façade of the church and the ancient bell tower was probably built against the city walls, but this portion of the church was destroyed by a collapse in an uncertain age.
In the parish rectory you can visit the Museum of stuccoes, where the fragments of the precious decoration that once decorated the central nave of the church are preserved.

If you still have time, do not miss the church of San Michele: built outside the walls of the ancient town a few decades after Santa Maria Maggiore, the dedication to the Archangel suggests a reconstruction of an ancient building, as Lombards were particularly devoted to Michael.

According to the tradition, relics of the True Cross are preserved in the church: they had been donated by the Reverend Guglielmo de Grossis, who stopped in Lomello during a journey to the papal court of Avignon and there he passed away on May 4, 1370.


Text by FIAMMA BOZZOLOConfGuide-GITEC 

CLICK HERE to discover her other itinerary proposals.

Take me here: Lomello and its Christian buildings

On the same topic

Monuments Mantua

The Gonzagas have made Mantua a jewel of the Italian Renaissance visible in its palaces, monuments, churches, culture and traditions
  • Art & Culture
Monuments Mantua, ideas for visiting

The Violin’s Museum

on Google Arts & Culture!
  • Art & Culture
The Violin’s Museum

Theatre: what’s on stage in Lombardy 

In Lombardy, theatres are opening up safely: here are some of the must-see shows and festivals
  • Art & Culture
Teatro: chi è di scena in Lombardia

Monuments Monza

There are so many beauties to discover in the city that holds treasures not only in its Cathedral.
  • Art & Culture
Monuments in Monza, culture in Lombardy

Mantua Culture Capital 2016

Mantua city of art, capital of culture
  • Art & Culture
Mantua Culture Capital 2016, discover its wonders

The mantuan locations in Rigoletto

Between reality and fantasy, a musical itinerary retraces the locations of Verdi's opera set in Mantua in the sixteenth century
  • Art & Culture
The mantuan locations in Rigoletto

San Pietro a Gemonio

This church is one of the points that remain more etched in the memory of the travelers who travel the Varese-Laveno
  • Art & Culture
San Pietro a Gemonio and the Salvini Museum in Cocquio Trevisago

Bergamo, Crespi d'Adda

  • Art & Culture
Villaggio Crespi d'Adda

Monuments Cremona

Cremona: a splendid city of art with a sober elegance and many monuments, to be visited on foot or by bicycle
  • Art & Culture
Monuments Cremona, visiting Lombardy

The Lombard seigniories: key figures, history and places

Gonzaga, Visconti, Sforza: a journey through cities steeped in history and culture
  • Art & Culture
Gonzaga - Palazzo Ducale Mantova - ph: analisidellopera.it

The Archaeological Museum

on Google Arts & Culture!
  • Art & Culture
The Archaeological  Museum

Spring in Varese

Varese: walks, picnics, secret beaches. In the spring, spend a day outdoors in the land of the lakes.
  • Art & Culture
Plenty of culture and fresh air at the Villa Della Porta Bozzolo

Autumn trip to villas and castles

An autumn adventure of history & beauty: explore the autumn charm of Lombardy's villas and castles.
  • Art & Culture
Autumn trip to villas and castles

Pavia Photo Gallery

An area full of attractions and experiences to experience
  • Art & Culture
Pavia from A to Z, art and culinary traditions

6 Interactive museums for children

Explore Lombardy with your children! Experiential and interactive museums to stimulate curiosity and creativity.
  • Art & Culture
6 Interactive museums for children

Museums Brescia

Brescia: the ideal destination for those who love art. Countless opportunities to visit exhibitions and to attend cultural events
  • Art & Culture
Museums Brescia, hints on visiting

Monuments Bergamo

Bergamo and its province offer monuments of rare beauty. Discover the main monuments to visit
  • Art & Culture
Monuments Bergamo, choose what to see in Lombardy

Lombardy in 5 Castles

Impregnable fortresses, with enchanting lake views, legends of ghosts. Five castles in Lombardy to be visited
  • Art & Culture
Lombardy in 5 Castles

Following Leonardo's footsteps in Milan

  • Art & Culture
Following Leonardo's footsteps in Milan

The Ghost of Manigunda

In Varese the legend of the ghost of Manigunda to the monastery
  • Art & Culture
Legends of Varese: the Ghost of Manigunda at the Cairate Monastery