The basilica of the Perdonanza, with its checkered façade reborn after the earthquake
Just outside the walls of L'Aquila, on a large lawn, stands the Basilica of Santa Maria di Collemaggio, the most famous monument of the city and one of the masterpieces of Abruzzo Romanesque. It was founded in 1287 by the hermit monk Pietro da Morrone, who on 29 August 1294 was crowned pope right here, with the name of Celestine V, in the presence of an immense crowd. A few months later, he became famous for his "great refusal", resigning from the papacy, an act that Dante, according to many interpreters, recalled in the Inferno. The façade, broad and square, is covered with a splendid checkerboard pattern of white and pink stone, with three portals and three rose windows, a unique and unforgettable image.
As soon as he was elected, Celestine V issued the Bolla del Perdono, granting a plenary indulgence to all those who, confessed and repentant, entered the basilica between the vespers of 28 and 29 August: it was the origin of the Perdonanza Celestiniana, a celebration repeated every year for more than seven centuries, with the opening of the Holy Door and a historical procession, recognised by UNESCO in 2019 as Intangible Cultural Heritage. Inside, the basilica preserves the mausoleum of Celestine V, a Renaissance work, with the remains of the saint. Seriously damaged by the earthquake of 2009, when the transept collapsed, the basilica was restored and reopened at the end of 2017, becoming a symbol of the rebirth of L'Aquila.
Tip: come at the end of August for the Perdonanza; admire the façade in the late afternoon, when the pink stone glows.
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