Description of the attraction
The Basilica of Santa Maria delle Grazie is one of two early Christian basilicas in the town of Grado, located in the Italian region of Friuli Venezia Giulia. The church stands in the historic center of the city, a few steps from the collection of Santa Eufemia and the old baptistery, and faces the Campo dei Patriarchi square. At some distance, the ruins of the third basilica, Della Corte, are visible.
Santa Maria delle Grazie was built at the end of the 6th century on the initiative of Patriarch Elia, who at the same time completed the construction of the Cathedral of Santa Eufemia and began work on the first church on the island of Barban. The basilica stands on the site of an older religious structure dating from the 5th century, which was probably erected by order of Bishop Cromazio. Fragments of both buildings have survived in the interior of the basilica, which has recently been restored. The altar and the central nave belong to the structure of the era of Patriarch Elia, and the right side chapel and part of the apse, covered with decorative mosaics with geometric figures and epigraphs, belong to the very first temple.
Santa Maria delle Grazie is square in plan. Inside, the basilica is divided into a central nave and two side chapels, which are separated from each other by two rows of marble columns of different origins. The altar, the sprinkler and the wooden statue of Madonna delle Grazie, an object of worship of local residents, deserve special attention. The brick facade of the basilica has three portals and is decorated with a three-arched window.
