In Santa Lucia di Piave you can visit the parish church, now a sanctuary containing several works by the sculptor friar Beato (Blessed) Fra Claudio. This neo-Gothic church was built in 1878 on the remains of a Roman temple, following an earthquake that destroyed the previous structure, whose ancient foundations can still be seen today in the square in front. During World War I, the bell tower, erected at the beginning of the 19th century, was destroyed. Between 1923 and 1926, the new tower was built, designed by Domenico Rupolo.
The sacred space is anticipated outside by the portico, a work by Friar Claudio: two red marble lions, symbols of the defense of the Gospel and victory over heresies, are found on either side of the portal, which is adorned with panels depicting sacred and secular figures, including Saint Francis of Assisi and Dante Alighieri. Inside, visitors are immediately drawn to the finely decorated walls and the impressive structure with pointed arches.
Notable is the stunning marble holy water font, also a work by Blessed Claudio, where a kneeling Lucifer supports a shell from which rises a bronze statue of the Immaculate Virgin Mary, bearing the inscription IPSA CONTERET CAPUT TUUM (“She [the Virgin Mary] will crush your head”). The phrase is taken from the Book of Genesis (3:15), specifically from God’s address to the serpent after the original sin had been committed. Another work by Blessed Fra Claudio, who expressed his contemplation of divine beauty through the art of sculpture, is the statue of Saint Lucy, with her eyes turned toward the heavens, flanked by two angels.
© Marcadoc editorial team | 21/08/2024
