The basilica of San Frediano is one of Lucca's oldest churches, instantly recognisable by the great golden mosaic of the Ascension that blazes across its upper façade. Inside it preserves a remarkable Romanesque baptismal font and the incorrupt body of St Zita, patron saint of servants. As one of the principal churches of a major Via Francigena city, it was a natural place of prayer for pilgrims pausing in Lucca.
Highlights
- Golden Ascension mosaic blazing across the upper facade
- The incorrupt body of St Zita, patron saint of servants
- Gregory the Great's tale of Frediano turning the Serchio with a rake
- The great carved Romanesque baptismal font in the cool nave
- The oval Piazza dell'Anfiteatro, built into a Roman arena, two minutes away
At a glance
| Period | Romanesque (12th century) |
|---|---|
| Stage | 13 — Tergnier to Laon |
Take care
- Ordinary city care in the urban setting
- No special hazards beyond everyday town caution
History
Bishop Frediano founded a church on this spot in the 6th century, originally dedicated to St Vincent, and it was later rededicated to its founder. The present basilica was rebuilt between 1112 and 1147 and consecrated by Pope Eugene III, its unusual east-facing front receiving the great mosaic towards the end of the 13th century. St Zita, the much-loved serving maid of the Fatinelli household, was laid to rest here in 1278, and her April feast still fills the church with flowers.
Myth & legend
In his Dialogues, Gregory the Great tells how Bishop Frediano saved Lucca from the flooding Serchio: after praying alone on the bank he drew a small rake across the ground, and the river obediently followed the furrow into a new, harmless channel. Frescoes of 1508–09 in the basilica still commemorate the miracle.
Geology
San Frediano's pale masonry comes from the hills rather than the plain: limestone quarried on Monte Pisano, the folded ridge south of the city whose ancient rocks also fed Lucca's lime kilns. The basilica itself stands on the Serchio's old floodplain, a river that has repeatedly shifted its course across the flat Lucca basin over the centuries.
Wildlife & nature
Swifts and house martins nest under the eaves and in the basilica's high brickwork from April, and bats work the same airspace once the mosaic has caught the last of the evening light. The courtyard and cloister gardens nearby hold old wisteria, magnolia and camellias, a Lucchese speciality that flowers from February.
The view
The golden Ascension mosaic blazes across the upper facade above a quiet piazza; inside, the great carved Romanesque font rewards a slow, patient look in the cool nave.
Photography
Catch the mosaic when full sun strikes the facade; a polariser tames glare on the gold, and the piazza gives room to frame the whole front with passers-by for scale.
When to visit
Pleasantest from spring to early autumn; in high summer the piazza bakes at midday, so visit early or late. September's Luminara evening fills nearby streets with candlelight.
Getting there
A few minutes on foot from Lucca station across the walled centre; the Via Francigena route through the city passes close by, and Piazza dell'Anfiteatro is steps away.
Where to stay
Hostel beds in a former convent beside the basilica and religious guesthouses nearby welcome credential holders; hotels and B&Bs abound throughout the walled town.
Food & water
Drinking fountains and cafes lie close by in the northern lanes of the walled town; this flat city centre asks for nothing more than a small bottle between stops.
Safety
Urban setting — ordinary city care. In an emergency dial 112.
Accessibility
The basilica sits on a level piazza with a shallow step at the door; the surrounding flat lanes are cobbled but generally smooth and comfortable for most visitors.
Visitor tips
Come for the font and St Zita's chapel, ask about a timbro, then walk two minutes to the oval Piazza dell'Anfiteatro, built into a Roman arena, for a coffee stop.
The guide, in full
The written guide to this site.
Turn a corner in the northern lanes of Lucca and the wall in front of you catches fire. That is the only honest way to describe San Frediano on a sunny afternoon: a vast golden mosaic of the Ascension spread across the upper facade, Christ rising in a mandorla carried by angels while the apostles crane upward below, all of it laid in glass tesserae that throw the light straight back at you. It was set here towards the end of the twelve hundreds, and it faces east rather than west, unusually, which means it takes the morning sun full on and glows again at the end of the day. The man it honours founded a church on this spot in the five hundreds. Frediano was, by tradition, an Irish-born bishop of Lucca, and his best story is told by Gregory the Great in the Dialogues. The Serchio, the river that has wandered restlessly across this plain for as long as anyone can remember, was flooding the city and would not be persuaded away. Frediano went alone to the bank, prayed, then took a small rake and simply drew a line along the ground, and the river, says Gregory, followed the furrow obediently into a new and harmless channel. Frescoes painted here in fifteen hundred and eight and nine still show the moment. It is a very Lucchese kind of miracle: no thunderbolts, just a bishop with a garden tool and complete confidence. His church was first dedicated to Saint Vincent and later rededicated to its founder. The basilica you enter was rebuilt between eleven twelve and eleven forty-seven and consecrated by Pope Eugene the Third, and inside the cool nave, on the right, stands the thing to look for: a great Romanesque baptismal font, a round basin carved with the story of Moses, horsemen in Roman armour riding across its side, and a lidded canopy above. Circle it slowly. Romanesque sculpture rarely gets more alive than this. The other presence here is Zita. She was a serving maid in the Fatinelli household in the twelve hundreds, remembered for giving away her employers' bread to the hungry and for a life of unshowy goodness, and after she was laid to rest here in twelve seventy-eight the city adopted her as its own. Her body lies in a glass case in a side chapel, dressed and remarkably preserved, and every April her feast fills the whole church with flowers. She is the patron saint of servants and domestic workers, which makes her, of all the saints on this road, perhaps the one most likely to sympathise with tired feet and a heavy pack. Look up on your way out for swifts and house martins nesting under the eaves from April, with bats working the same air once the mosaic has caught the last light. The pale masonry around you came from Monte Pisano, the folded limestone ridge south of the city, brought down to a basilica standing on the old floodplain of the very river Frediano is said to have redirected. When you have had your fill, walk two minutes east and slip through a low archway into the Piazza dell'Anfiteatro, an oval of ochre houses built directly into the ring of a Roman amphitheatre, its shape preserved by the buildings that swallowed it. Order a coffee, sit in the curve of two thousand years, and let Lucca do its quiet work on you before you walk on.
Common questions
How old is Church of San Frediano, Lucca?
Church of San Frediano, Lucca dates from the Romanesque (12th century) period.
How do I get to Church of San Frediano, Lucca?
A few minutes on foot from Lucca station across the walled centre; the Via Francigena route through the city passes close by, and Piazza dell'Anfiteatro is steps away.
Is Church of San Frediano, Lucca accessible?
The basilica sits on a level piazza with a shallow step at the door; the surrounding flat lanes are cobbled but generally smooth and comfortable for most visitors.
When is the best time to visit Church of San Frediano, Lucca?
Pleasantest from spring to early autumn; in high summer the piazza bakes at midday, so visit early or late. September's Luminara evening fills nearby streets with candlelight.
Is there food and water at Church of San Frediano, Lucca?
Drinking fountains and cafes lie close by in the northern lanes of the walled town; this flat city centre asks for nothing more than a small bottle between stops.
Where can I stay near Church of San Frediano, Lucca?
Hostel beds in a former convent beside the basilica and religious guesthouses nearby welcome credential holders; hotels and B&Bs abound throughout the walled town.
What should I know before visiting Church of San Frediano, Lucca?
Come for the font and St Zita's chapel, ask about a timbro, then walk two minutes to the oval Piazza dell'Anfiteatro, built into a Roman arena, for a coffee stop.
Is Church of San Frediano, Lucca safe to visit?
Urban setting — ordinary city care. In an emergency dial 112.
Nearby on the route
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