Basilicas of Italy
By Dion Protani
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Latest update: 17 January 2024
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Chosen from a total of 573 Basilicas of Italy, 16 of the most important, the most stylish architecturally or containing the greatest works of art are detailed below. There's a common misconception that a basilica is the same thing as a cathedral and given the aesthetic similarities between the two that's quite understandable.
In fact neither basilicas or cathedrals need to follow any rules in terms of size or architectural style and the difference really just comes down to the status ascribed to each church (both basilicas and cathedrals are types of church), by those that govern the organisation. |
Typically, a cathedral is the seat of a bishop, indeed the word "cattedra" refers to the throne that the bishop sits on, while a basilica can be so named for a variety of reasons including historic importance or size.
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