Introduction

The Basilica of San Pietro in Ciel d’Oro (meaning “in the golden sky”) is a historic church in Pavia, Italy, recognized with the dignity of a minor basilica. It was likely built on the site of an earlier 6th-century church, with its construction beginning in the early 8th century during the Lombard era. The basilica is first mentioned by the historian Paul the Deacon (720-799). It underwent significant reconstruction in the Romanesque style between the 11th and 12th centuries. The original early Christian basilica earned its name “San Pietro in Ciel d’Oro” due to its golden vaults and was built over the burial site of Saint Severinus Boethius, a Roman philosopher and senator. Boethius was executed by the Ostrogothic king Theodoric the Great in 525. In 2018 and 2019, archaeological excavations behind the apse of the basilica uncovered walls believed to belong to the apse of the earlier church.

An exceptional example of Lombard Romanesque architecture, the basilica is regarded, alongside the Basilica of San Michele Maggiore, as one of the most important medieval religious monuments in Pavia. After its reconstruction, the basilica was reconsecrated by Pope Innocent II in 1132. It holds great prestige in the Catholic world, as it is the resting place of Saint Augustine of Hippo and Saint Severinus Boethius.

The basilica is mentioned in Dante’s Divine Comedy (Paradise, Canto X, vv. 124-128) as the sacred repository of Boethius’ remains. It also appears in Petrarch’s Descriptio Urbis Ticinensis and in De avaritia vitanda. Additionally, Boccaccio references it in one of the stories of The Decameron (Torello and Saladin, Novella IX, Day X). Following the plundering during the Napoleonic era, the basilica fell into disrepair. However, it was carefully restored between 1875 and 1899, preserving its historical and architectural significance.

St.PeterintheGoldenSkyinPavia- History

Foundation and Early History

The Monastery of San Pietro in Ciel d’Oro was founded by the Lombard king Liutprand, who sought to protect the relics of Saint Augustine, previously housed in Cagliari, Sardinia. Fearing that the Saracens might desecrate or steal these valuable relics during their raids, Liutprand ransomed them and moved them to Pavia in 722, placing them in the basilica. This action is documented by the Venerable Bede in his Chronicon, which recounts how Liutprand transferred the relics to Pavia with great honor to protect them from the threat of barbarian destruction.

Early Monastic Life

The monastery was initially entrusted to Columban monks, with the historian Paul the Deacon studying there. By the 9th century, it had become a prominent center of learning, with a scriptorium and school directed by Dungal of Bobbio, an Irish monk. The monastery became a key educational institution, with students coming from cities such as Milan, Brescia, and Bergamo to study there. The monastery also enjoyed the privilege of being directly under papal authority, exempt from local bishops’ control.

In 987, the monastery underwent a reform under the guidance of Majolus of Cluny. Emperor Henry II sought refuge there in 1004, during a period of unrest in Pavia. A significant event took place in 1022 when Pope Benedict VIII presided over a council at the basilica, during which important decisions regarding religious celibacy were made, and relics of Saint Augustine were distributed to various bishops.

Imperial Donations and Growth

Throughout the Middle Ages, the monastery received numerous imperial donations from the likes of Emperors Otto I, II, III, and Frederick Barbarossa. These grants expanded the monastery’s holdings, including estates, lands, and rights across vast regions. By the 11th century, the monks were also involved in wine production, cultivating vineyards in the Oltrepò Pavese, with the wines transported to Pavia and traded.

Despite their growing wealth and influence, the monks faced frequent conflicts with the bishops of Pavia, particularly during the tenure of Bishops Guglielmo d’Este and Guido II in the early 12th century.

Expansion and Notable Events

In the 12th and 13th centuries, the monastery expanded its territorial holdings further, acquiring lands, mills, and other assets. The monastery also held seigneurial and banno rights in various regions, including Lardirago, where the monastery also owned a castle.

By 1169, under the direction of Abbot Ulrich, the remains of King Liutprand and his father, Ansprando, were transferred to the basilica. In 1221, following the murder of the abbot, Pope Honorius III transformed the monastery into a rectory and placed it under the care of the canons regular of Santa Croce di Mortara. The Augustinian order was later added in 1327, and the two groups coexisted in the basilica for some time, with the Augustinians eventually building their own convent in 1332.

Visconti Influence

In 1365, Galeazzo II Visconti, the ruler of Milan, moved his court to Pavia and sought to align the basilica with the royal Visconti dynasty. The basilica was transformed into a sepulchral church for the Visconti family. Galeazzo II financed the construction of a marble ark for Saint Augustine’s relics and granted burial privileges to his advisors and members of the royal court. This trend continued, and notable figures, including Gian Galeazzo Visconti, were buried there.

During the 15th century, the basilica underwent renovations, particularly to its central nave, and continued to serve as the primary burial site for the Visconti family until the establishment of the Certosa di Pavia.

Later History

After the Battle of Pavia in 1525, several fallen aristocrats were buried in the basilica, including the Landsknecht captain Eitel Friedrich III and Richard de la Pole, a pretender to the English throne. The basilica also witnessed ongoing tensions between the Augustinians and the Lateran canons regarding the use of the church. These conflicts were resolved in 1635, with an agreement dividing the space between the two orders.

In the late 16th century, following the reforms of the Council of Trent, many of the sarcophagi and funeral monuments were removed to improve liturgical functions. During restoration work in 1695, the bones of Saint Augustine were rediscovered in the crypt of the church.

Napoleonic Era and Decline

The Napoleonic occupation in 1796 led to the confiscation of the church and its transformation into a stable and warehouse. The Augustinians and Lateran canons were expelled, and the building fell into disrepair. By the 19th century, the basilica had been abandoned, and parts of the structure had collapsed.

Restoration and Reopening

In the late 19th century, efforts were made to restore the basilica. The “Società Conservatrice de’ monumenti pavesi dell’arte cristiana” negotiated the repurchase of the building in 1884, and extensive restoration work took place from 1875 to 1896. The basilica was returned to its former splendor, and a solemn reopening for worship occurred on June 15, 1896. The relics of Saint Augustine were returned to the basilica, along with the fourteenth-century ark.

Modern Era Today, the church is officiated by the Augustinian monks, who have returned to occupy the ancient convent. The monastery and its surroundings remain a symbol of Pavia’s rich medieval and religious history.

Architecture of Basilica of St. Peter in the Golden Sky in Pavia, Italy

The “Golden Sky” and Romanesque Reconstruction

The architectural remains of the original Lombard church are minimal, as much of the structure was rebuilt during the Romanesque reconstruction completed around 1132. Like many churches in Pavia from this period, San Pietro in Ciel d’Oro features a brick building with three naves, a transept, an apse, and a crypt.

Facade

The gabled façade of the church is divided into three sections, reflecting the internal naves, by two buttresses. The larger right buttress contains an internal staircase leading to the roof. The top of the façade is crowned by a blind loggia with a motif of intertwined arches. Sandstone is used primarily for significant features like the portal, small windows, and bull’s eyes. The portal itself is made of sandstone and marble and features a tympanum with an image of Saint Michael at its center, flanked by two figures in prayer. These sculptures are among the oldest in the basilica, dating from around 1050-1090. Traces of an ancient narthex or possibly a quadriportico can be seen along the buttresses, suggesting a former entrance area to the church.

Interior Design

The interior of the basilica is divided into five bays, with rectangular bays in the central nave and square bays in the side naves. The central nave is wider, longer, and less slender than the one in the Basilica of San Michele Maggiore, with a more uniform arrangement of pillars. The first bay functions as an internal atrium or false transept, covered by a barrel vault. From the second to the fifth bay, the ceilings are covered by cross vaults. The first two bays of the left nave are decorated with 16th-century frescoes. Beyond the triumphal arch lies the transept, which does not protrude from the main body of the church but instead occupies the depth of the three naves. The apses at the eastern end of the church are decorated with a blind loggia, in keeping with Romanesque architectural traditions. The central nave’s apse features a fresco by Ponziano Loverini (1900), which replicates an ancient mosaic that was destroyed in 1796. At the intersection of the central nave and transept, an octagonal dome rises, supported by Lombard-style pendentives and topped with a terracotta lantern.

Northern Transept and Oratory

In the northern transept, a small portal, profiled with earlier Romanesque sculptures, leads to a small room that was originally an oratory. Today, this room functions as a bookshop. This oratory, which remained separated from the rest of the church by an iron door in the 16th century, was once intended to house the relics of Saint Augustine and other saints brought to Pavia from Sardinia. It likely follows the design of the earlier early medieval oratory that existed on the site.

The Crypt

St.PeterintheGoldenSkyinPavia-Crypt

The crypt of San Pietro in Ciel d’Oro was partially rebuilt during the 19th-century restoration, but it still occupies the space beneath the presbytery and the choir. It is connected to the main and side naves by four staircases and is closed to the east by an apse. Divided into five naves by twenty-four columns, the crypt supports cross vaults, which in turn support the floor of the upper church. The crypt is the final resting place of Severino Boezio, and visitors can also find an ancient well against the back wall, believed to have had healing properties since the 12th century, which was restored during the 19th-century renovation.

Sacristy and Organ

From the left nave, one enters the New Sacristy, a spacious, airy rectangular room designed in pure Renaissance style. The sacristy is decorated with intricately frescoed ribbed vaults, enhancing its elegance and significance.

The church also houses a valuable Lingiardi pipe organ, built in 1913. The instrument, which features two keyboards and pedals, was modified by Mascioni in 1978 and restored by the Inzoli company in 1990. It is enclosed in a neo-Gothic style case, adding to the overall aesthetic of the church.

Giovanni di Balduccio and the Ark of Saint Augustine

St.PeterintheGoldenSkyinPavia-ArkofAugustine

A prominent feature within the basilica is the marble Ark of Saint Augustine, crafted by Giovanni di Balduccio. The ark is an important part of the church’s historical and architectural heritage, reflecting the deep religious and cultural significance of the basilica. The architectural beauty and historical significance of San Pietro in Ciel d’Oro continue to attract attention, serving as a testament to the region’s rich religious history and artistic legacy.

The Ark of Saint Augustine

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Located in the presbytery of the church of San Pietro in Ciel d’Oro, the Ark of Saint Augustine is a masterpiece of 14th-century Gothic sculpture, crafted by Giovanni di Balduccio. The ark is divided into three distinct bands:

Bottom Band: Contains the urn holding the remains of Saint Augustine.

Middle Band: Features a statue of the sleeping Saint Augustine.

Top Band: Resting on small pillars and crowned by triangular cusps, it completes the structure.

The entire work is adorned with over 150 statues depicting angels, saints, bishops, and panels illustrating scenes from the life of Saint Augustine. This grand artistic endeavor was commissioned in 1362 by Bonifacio Bottigella, an Augustinian monk from Pavia. Bottigella was a prior of the monastery, a renowned professor at the University of Pavia, and a prominent figure in the court of Princess Bianca Visconti of Savoy.

Reliquary Box of Saint Augustine

The Reliquary Box of Saint Augustine, housed within the ark, is a Lombard-era goldsmith’s work dating to around 725. This silver box was donated to the monastery by King Liutprando, and it features gilded silver crosses, which highlight the transition of Lombard art toward Byzantine and early Christian influences.

Crypt and Burial of Severino Boezio

Tomb of Severinus Boethius

The crypt of San Pietro in Ciel d’Oro is the final resting place of Severinus Boethius (c. 475-525), a philosopher known for his work De Consolatione Philosophiae, written during his exile in Pavia. Boethius was executed by the Ostrogoth king Theodoric, with whom he had fallen out of favor. Dante Alighieri references Boethius in his Divine Comedy, Canto X of Paradise, where Boethius is found in the Heaven of the Sun among blessed philosophers and scholars. Dante also specifically mentions the tomb in Cieldauro.

The bones of Boethius are kept in a small urn in the style of Ravenna, crafted by Antonio Cassi and designed by architect Brusconi. Behind the altar is a marble slab bearing an epitaph celebrating Boethius’s wisdom, attributed to Pope Sylvester II (Gerbert of Aurillac). The original tombstone from the 6th century is preserved in the Civic Museums of Pavia.

Burial of Other Prominent Figures

 In addition to Boethius, the crypt contains the tombs of several notable figures, including the mercenary leader Facino Cane (1360-1412), various advisors to Galeazzo II, and prominent individuals like Lionello, Duke of Clarence, and Francesco d’Este. The crypt also serves as the burial site for Ricard de la Pole, the last descendant of the House of York, and Eitel Friedrich III, Count of Hohenzollern, both of whom perished at the Battle of Pavia in 1525. In 1543, Pietro da Cortevilla, an advisor to Emperor Charles V, was buried in the basilica. Their epigraphs are preserved in the Civic Museums.

Burial of King Liutprando

According to local tradition, the Lombard King Liutprando (c. 690-744) is also believed to be buried in the crypt of San Pietro in Ciel d’Oro, at the base of the last pillar of the right nave. In 1895, bones found in the church were identified as belonging to Liutprando by Rodolfo Majocchi and Carlo dell’Acqua. These remains were the subject of further study in 2018, where bioarchaeological and genetic analyses revealed that the bones belonged to three individuals of high social status, with robust physiques and a diet rich in protein from meat and fish. One of these individuals, who died around the age of 40-50, is considered to be a contemporary of Liutprando. Liutprando’s remains were originally interred at the church of Sant’Adriano in Pavia but were moved to San Pietro in Ciel d’Oro between 1169 and 1180 by order of Abbot Ulrico. A marble sarcophagus with a sculpted effigy of the king was erected at that time, but the monument was dismantled in the 16th century following the prescriptions of the Council of Trent. Today, Liutprando’s presumed remains are interred within the floor of the church.

Feast Day

Feast Day : Saint Peter Feast : 29th July

                      Saint Augustine Feast : 28th August

The Basilica of San Pietro in Ciel d’Oro in Pavia, Italy, is closely associated with the feast days of both Saint Peter and Saint Augustine.

The feast day of Saint Peter is celebrated on June 29th, known as the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul. This day honors Saint Peter, one of Jesus Christ’s apostles and the first Pope, alongside Saint Paul, another key figure in early Christianity.

The feast day of Saint Augustine, whose relics are housed in the basilica, is celebrated on August 28th, marking the anniversary of his death in 430 AD. Saint Augustine, a bishop and theologian, is renowned for his influential writings such as Confessions and The City of God.

Church Mass Timing

Yet to Update

Church Opening Time:

Monday        : 8:30 am – 12:00 pm, 3:30 pm – 7:15 pm

Tuesday       : 8:30 am – 12:00 pm, 3:30 pm – 7:15 pm

Wednesday : 8:30 am – 12:00 pm, 3:30 pm – 7:15 pm

Thursday     : 8:30 am – 12:00 pm, 3:30 pm – 7:15 pm

Friday           : 8:30 am – 12:00 pm, 3:30 pm – 7:15 pm

Saturday      : 8:30 am – 12:00 pm, 3:30 pm – 7:15 pm

Sunday         : 8:30 am – 12:00 pm, 3:30 pm – 7:15 pm

Contact Info

Address:

Piazza S. Pietro in Ciel d’Oro, 2, 27100 Pavia PV, Italy

Phone : +390382303036

Accommodations

Booking.com

Connectivities

Airway

Milan Linate Airport  to basilica di san pietro in ciel d’oro pavia italy distance between 46 min (55.7 km) via A7.

Railway

Milan Central Station to basilica di san pietro in ciel d’oro pavia italy distance between 51 min (45.6 km) via A7.

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