In the heart of the ancient town of Sarsina, in Emilia-Romagna, stands the solemn Basilica of San Vicinio, one of the most important examples of Romanesque architecture in the region. The exact year of its construction is unknown, but scholars agree in dating it around the year 1000. Its imposing structure dominates the main square, captivating visitors with its sober and elegant facade, built of bricks of different hues, evidence of the architectural modifications and stratifications that have taken place over the centuries.
Outside, the 17th-century churchyard wall, adorned with tombstones surmounted by capitals, guides the eye toward the entrance to the basilica. Above the central portal is a lunette decorated with a modern mosaic depicting St. Vicinius, bishop and patron of the diocese, recognizable by his mitre and famous thaumaturgic “chain,” an object of popular veneration. Higher up are a large window, a single-lancet window and a carved cross, formerly a small oculus. The bell tower, visibly later than the church, completes the exterior structure.
The interior is Latin cross-shaped, with the nave twice as wide as the aisles and separated from them by twelve columns. The wooden truss ceiling reinforces the austere and spiritual aspect of the whole. In the chancel, a few openings in the floor make it possible to see the remains of the demolished ancient crypt, funerary inscriptions of three bishops, and fragments of Roman flooring.
Of particular value is the 10th-century marble antependium, with a bas-relief depicting Christ enthroned, accompanied by the archangels Gabriel and Michael. Next to it is a magnificent 12th-century ambo, in the Franco-German style, decorated with symbols of the four evangelists.
The left aisle houses an interesting medieval baptismal font, the tomb of Bishop Carlo Bandini, and the Chapel of the Rosary, with a Baroque altar and a painting of Our Lady adored by St. Dominic. At the back, the Chapel of the Sacrament holds a fine marble tabernacle from 1555.
But the devotional centerpiece of the basilica is the Chapel of St. Vicinius, in the right aisle, sumptuously decorated with 18th-century gilded stuccoes commissioned by Bishop Paolo Calbetti. Here are preserved the saint’s relics and his famous chain, the object of rites of blessing still practiced today. Above the altar, the painting of the Madonna and Child and Crowned Saint Vicinio is by Ferrara painter Ippolito Scarsella, known as lo Scarsellino. On the walls, four votive paintings by Michele Valbonesi illustrate miracles attributed to the saint.
Also in the chancel and along the aisles are important 17th- and 18th-century canvases, including The Visitation by Sebastiano Savorelli, The Annunciation by Mattia de Mare, and The Mass of St. Gregory the Great, attributed to Carlo Cignani.
Even today, the Basilica of San Vicinio is a place of faith, art and tradition, a pilgrimage destination and spiritual centerpiece of the upper Savio valley, in an atmosphere that knows how to combine medieval sacredness and deep popular roots.