What does basilica mean in Italy?

noun. an early Christian or medieval church of the type built especially in Italy, characterized by a plan including a nave, two or four side aisles, a semicircular apse, a narthex, and often other features, as a short transept, a number of small semicircular apses terminating the aisles, or an atrium.



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The word basilica is derived from a Greek term meaning “royal court”—from which the king exercised his reign. In the Catholic world, a basilica is a church building that has been recognized and accorded special privileges by the pope.

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Basilica is also the name given to certain churches granted special privileges by the Pope. Recorded from the mid 16th century, the word comes from Latin, literally 'royal palace', and from Greek basiliske, feminine of basiliskos 'royal', from basileus 'king'.

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basilica, in the Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox churches, a canonical title of honour given to church buildings that are distinguished either by their antiquity or by their role as international centres of worship because of their association with a major saint, an important historical event, or, in the Orthodox ...

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The title gives the church certain privileges, principally the right to reserve its high altar for the pope, a cardinal, or a patriarch, and special penitential privileges that remove the basilica from local geographical jurisdiction and give it international status.

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Basilicas are where the pope meets the people when he visits the diocese where the basilica is located. The pope can visit other places, but the basilica is special in that it has a special chair with an umbraculum, an umbrella-like piece of regalia on the altar that symbolizes papal authority.

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To clarify: a cathedral is any church that is the “seat” of a bishop. There is one cathedral per diocese. A basilica is any church named highly important by the pope based on its historical or cultural importance, its art or beauty, its signi?cance in the liturgical life of the Church or a variety of these attributes.

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There are currently 91 Catholic Basilicas in the United States. They are listed below in order of their date of recognition: Basilica of St. Mary - Minneapolis, Minnesota.

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There are two types of basilicas – Major Basilicas and Minor Basilicas. First among the Major Basilicas is the Lateran Basilica of Saint John, which is the Pontifical Cathedral of the Holy Father as the Bishop of Rome.

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The Four Major Papal Basilicas of Rome
  • Archbasilica of St. John Lateran (Arcibasilica di San Giovanni in Laterano) ...
  • St Peter's Basilica (Basilica di San Pietro) Piazza San Pietro. ...
  • St Paul Outside the Walls (San Paolo Fuori le Mure) Piazzale San Paolo 1. ...
  • Papal Basilica of St Mary Major (Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore)


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While the guided tour only takes around 1.5 hours, be sure to factor in the time it will take you to find the entrance and show your tickets as you plan. You'll get to see the actual tomb of St. Peter and the bones of the dead Apostle at the end of the tour in the Vatican grottoes, underneath the Basilica.

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The following is a list of Basilicas in Rome. An ecclesiastical basilica is a Roman Catholic church building which has been granted special status by the Pope. There are 66 such churches in Rome, more than any other city, and more than 125 of the 131 countries in the world that have basilicas.

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Ombrellino (little umbrella) During the Middle Ages, the Ombrellino would be carried above the Holy Father during processions. Once placed, the Ombrellino remains partially open in as a symbol of readiness to welcome the Holy Father.

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Visitors can get into the Basilica for free, but the long line is often as impressive as the building itself. The Basilica is open every day from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. April to September and from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. October to March.

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These are the most beautiful churches and cathedrals in Italy:
  1. St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican City. ...
  2. St. Mark's Basilica, Venice. ...
  3. Milan Cathedral. ...
  4. Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi. ...
  5. Siena Cathedral. ...
  6. Florence Cathedral. ...
  7. Basilica of St. ...
  8. Basilica of San Vitale in Ravenna.


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