Church of Santa Corona

The church of Santa Corona stands in the area called Colle, on the eastern slope of the city, a short distance from Piazza dell'Isola.

The main purpose of its construction was to house the relics donated by Louis IX, King of France, to the bishop of Vicenza, Blessed Bartolomeo da Breganze; but behind the pretext of preserving the sacred relics lies the Church's decisive reaction to the spread of the most important heresy in the entire Christian West, namely the Cathar heresy, whose doctrine - according to many historical documents - had taken root in the city much more than in other centres.

By building the church of Santa Corona in a district where Catharism was dominant, the Church therefore wanted to flex its muscles, clearing away the previous power. The site chosen for its construction, therefore, makes this church unique in the city: a place chosen with almost surgical precision to undermine the seat of the Cathar community.

The necessary funds for the construction of the church began to be collected in 1260, even the podestà of Vicenza provided a large sum of money; ecclesiastics, laymen, as well as professors, lawyers and doctors were also involved.

Guido da Porto - invested with the role of procurator - was entrusted with the task of procuring the land on which to erect the new Dominican church.

The first plot of land was purchased in October 1260. Within a short time, 30 properties, including houses and plots of land, were handed over to the prior provincial.
There are another 14 plots of land in the area, for which, however, deeds of sale are lacking; historians are therefore inclined to think that these were acts of expropriation.

This is a brief introduction to the Church of Santa Corona; if you have enjoyed it, come back soon to read more art-historical tidbits and, if you want to know more, contact me for a tour.

Church of Santa Corona

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