10 Beautiful Examples of Italian Gothic Architecture

Photo by Rolf Heinrich, Köln. Wikimedia Commons.

10 Beautiful Examples of Italian Gothic Architecture

Italian Gothic Architecture was the style that took over from Romanesque. This happened from the 12th to the 15th century. Gothic architecture in France, Germany and England has some distinct differences from what is found in the Italian version.

The legacy of Italian Gothic buildings still standing shows how strong gothic architecture can be. Here are 10 Beautiful Examples of Italian Gothic Architecture.

1. Santa Maria sopra Minerva

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The Minerva is an example of original Gothic architecture church building in Rome. The Gothic interior features arched vaulting that was painted blue and trimmed with brilliant red ribbing in a 19th-century Neo-Gothic restoration.

The Dominicans began building the present Gothic church in 1280 modelling it on their church in Florence Santa Maria Novella. Architectural plans were drawn up during the pontificate of Nicholas III by two Dominican friars, Fra Sisto Fiorentino and Fra Ristoro da Campi. With the help of funds contributed by Boniface VIII and the faithful the side aisles were completed in the 14th century.

2. Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi

This is a Papal minor basilica and one of the most important places of Christian pilgrimage in Italy. The basilica is a distinctive landmark to those approaching Assisi. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000.

The basilica, which was begun in 1228, is built into the side of a hill and comprises of two churches. The interior of the Upper Church is an important early example of the Gothic style in Italy. The church was designed by Maestro Jacopo Tedesco. The architecture is a synthesis of the Romanesque and Gothic styles, and it established many of the typical characteristics of Italian Gothic architecture.

3. Siena Cathedral

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Siena Cathedral is a medieval church in Siena, Italy. It is dedicated to the Assumption of Mary. The cathedral was designed and completed between 1215 and 1263 on the site of an earlier structure. It has the layout form of a Latin cross.

The façade of Siena Cathedral is one of the most fascinating in all of Italy. It is, in fact, one of the most impressive features in Siena. The west façade was built in two stages. It combined elements of French Gothic, Tuscan Romanesque architecture, and Classical architecture. The west façade is a beautiful example of Sienese workmanship.

4. Florence Cathedral

Florence Cathedral was begun in 1296 in the Gothic style to a design of Arnolfo di Cambio. The structure was completed by 1436 with the dome engineered by Filippo Brunelleschi. The exterior of the basilica has marble panels in various shades of green and pink, bordered by white.

The cathedral has an elaborate 19th-century Gothic Revival façade by Emilio De Fabris. It is one of Italy’s largest churches and until the development of new structural materials in the modern era, the dome was the largest in the world. It remains the largest brick dome ever constructed. Therefore, it is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site covering the historic center of Florence and a major tourist attraction of Tuscany.

5. Milan Cathedral

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This cathedral took nearly six centuries to complete: construction began in 1386, and the final details were completed in 1965. It is the largest church in the Italian Republic and possibly the second largest in Europe and the third largest in the world.

The construction of the cathedral had 300 employees led by first chief engineer Simone da Orsenigo. Orsenigo initially planned to build the cathedral from brick in Lombard Gothic style. In 1389, a French chief engineer, Nicolas de Bonaventure, was appointed. He introduced to the church its Rayonnant Gothic architecture. It has been described as “the first intense enthusiasms for Gothic.”

6. Palazzo Comunale, Piacenza

This is a palace in Piacenza, northern Italy which now serves as the seat of municipal administration. In 1281, the ghibellin Alberto Scoto, wanted to build the palace. He therefore commissioned four architects from Piacenza: Pietro da Cagnano, Negro De Negri, Gherardo Bellman and Pietro da Borghetto.

The palace should have been quadrangular, but work was stopped due to an epidemic plague. Only the north side of the palace was finished. The result is an excellent example of civil ogive architecture in lombard Gothic style. Inside the palace is a large lounge which became a theatre in 1644.

7. Bargello National Museum

Photo by Jonas Jaeken. Wikimedia Commons.

Bargello was a former barracks and prison. It is currently an art museum, in Florence, Italy. It’s construction was began in 1255.

The palace was built to house first the Capitano del Popolo and later, in 1261, the ‘podestà’, the highest magistrate of the Florence City Council.

8. Castel del Monte

This is a 13th-century citadel and castle situated on a hill in Andria in the Apulia region of southeast Italy. It was built during the 1240s by King Frederick II who had inherited the lands from his mother Constance of Sicily.

The castle’s design is a blend of elements from classical antiquity, Muslim architecture and the Cistercian Gothic of northern Europe. It has been described as “the most fascinating castle built by Frederick II”. The site is protected as a World Heritage Site. It also appears on the Italian version of the one cent Euro coin.

9. Castello Maniace

Photo by Juracell. Wikimedia Commons.

The Castello Maniace is a citadel and castle in Syracuse, Sicily, southern Italy. It was constructed between 1232 and 1240 by the Emperor Frederick II. In 1288, King Peter III of Aragon resided here with his family.

From 1305 to 1536 the castle was used as a residence by numerous queens of Sicily. In the 15th century it was used as a prison. And in the following century, it was included in the fortification defending the harbor and the city. A huge explosion damaged it in 1704, after which it was renovated and adapted to the use of guns.

10. Abbey of San Galgano

The Abbey of Saint Galgano was a Cistercian Monastery founded in the valley of the river Merse. This is between the towns of Chiusdino and Monticiano, in the region of Tuscany, Italy.

Presently, the roofless walls of the Gothic style 13th-century Abbey church still stands. The construction of the church began around 1220, and was completed some six decades later. The abbey grew in wealth and became allied with the Republic of Siena.