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Basilica of Collemaggio

The pink-and-white checkerboard basilica of Celestine V, the pope who resigned.

  • L'Aquila
  • Church
Plan your visit
Where
L'Aquila
Best for
Pink and white façade
Allow
45 minutes
Best time
Late afternoon, when the facade glows
Tickets
Free

The basilica of Santa Maria di Collemaggio was founded in 1288 by Pietro da Morrone, the hermit monk who was crowned pope here in 1294 as Celestine V and resigned a few months later.

Its façade is the most recognizable in Abruzzo, a checkerboard of pink and white stone that glows in the evening light. Inside, three bare naves with octagonal pillars and pointed arches show what the church looked like once Baroque additions were removed. Celestine's tomb, carved by Girolamo da Vicenza in 1517, is in a side chapel. Each year on 28 and 29 August the Holy Door is opened for the Perdonanza, a pardon proclaimed by Celestine in 1294, six years before Rome's first Holy Year.

Five things worth finding

If you see nothing else, see these.

  1. The pink and white facadeAbruzzese Gothic-Romanesque

    A checkerboard of pink and white stone with three portals and three rose windows; it glows in evening light.Main facade

  2. The Holy DoorSide portal

    A portal opened each year for the Perdonanza, the pardon proclaimed by Celestine V.Lateral wall

  3. The mausoleum of Celestine VGirolamo da Vicenza, 1517

    A Renaissance monument holding the remains of the hermit-pope in a gilded urn.Side chapel

  4. The bare nave with octagonal pillarsGothic, 13th to 14th century

    Three plain naves with pointed arches show the church stripped of Baroque additions.Interior

  5. The geometric floorStone pavement

    Diamond patterns and concentric circles, a labyrinth-like design, run across the floor.Nave

Plan your visit

Everything you need before you go.

Tickets
Free
Booking
No booking needed
Time needed
45 minutes
Best time
Late afternoon, when the facade glows; avoid Mass times
Getting there
Piazzale Collemaggio 5, at the edge of Collemaggio Park, a walk from L'Aquila's historic center. There is parking around the park.
Accessibility
The entrance is level and the piazza in front is flat.

Free entry, no booking. A modest dress code applies and visits pause during Mass.

Cross to the far side of the piazza to see the checkerboard whole, then find Celestine's tomb behind its small column and iron grille in the side chapel.

Official website
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Good to know

How long should you spend at the Basilica of Collemaggio?

About 45 minutes: the facade, the nave and the mausoleum of Celestine V. Add time for Collemaggio Park next to the basilica.

When is the Holy Door of Collemaggio open?

Each year on 28 and 29 August for the Perdonanza Celestiniana, a pardon proclaimed by Celestine V in 1294, before Rome’s first Holy Year. The rest of the year the door remains closed.

Can you see Collemaggio and the center of L’Aquila in one day?

Yes. The basilica stands at the edge of the historic center, so you can walk between it and the main squares and fountains. A late afternoon visit suits the facade.

More to see nearby

Same city first, then the nearest across the region.

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