Italy in Photos

Via Avvocato Emanuele Rossi, 17024 Finale Ligure SV, Italy (September 2020)

San Giovanni Battista

The Collegiate Church of San Giovanni Battista, nestled in the coastal district of Finale Marina in Finale Ligure, stands as a magnificent embodiment of Ligurian Baroque artistry and spiritual heritage.

Construction began in 1619 to replace a declining medieval parish and remained a monumental community endeavour, finally concluding in 1674 and consecrated in 1675. Though once misattributed to Gian Lorenzo Bernini, later scholarly research vindicated the talents of local craftsmen following Neapolitan Baroque influences.

In 1762, the Baroque façade was enhanced by architect Nicola Barella, also responsible for the elegant 24-meter dome completed in 1780 with the help of Genoese artists Simone Cantoni and Emanuele Andrea Tagliafichi. Sculptor Bartolomeo Bagutti contributed statues of Saint John the Baptist, Saints Peter and Paul, as well as allegories of Hope and Faith, enriching the façade with rich symbolic artistry.

Inside, the basilica is the largest church in the Diocese of Savona–Noli, organized with three naves and divided by two rows of paired columns inspired by early 17th-century Genoese models. The counter-façade features three grand frescoes painted in 1808 by Paolo Gerolamo Brusco, depicting the Baptism of Jesus,

Saint John preaching by the Jordan, and the Glory of the Precursor.

In 1830, Giuseppe Passano created decorative paintings in the central nave showing episodes from the life of John the Baptist among angelic host. The twelve side chapels are adorned with frescoes by Giacomo Picco, while the right transept houses works by Domenico Bocciardo and Giovanni Battista Merano, and the left includes a polychrome marble high altar made in 1767 by the Genoese school).

Noteworthy sculptures also include Antonio Brilla’s “Jesus gives the keys to Peter” and a crucifix by Anton Maria Maragliano in a left nave chapel, along with an intricately carved 18th-century pulpit by Pietro Ripa. Further enriching its heritage, the church houses a historic pipe organ, built in 1904 by Cesare and Giovanni Bernasconi and restored in 2002.

Elevated to the dignity of Minor Basilica by Pope Pius XI in 1930, the Collegiate Church of San Giovanni Battista remains not only a place of worship, but a dazzling testament to centuries of devotion, artistry, and local craftsmanship.