Chiesa di San Giovanni Domnarum

Beautiful Romanesque church difficult to find because set in a narrow passage closed between gates is certainly worth a visit also the crypt which dates back to the Lombard period but being the narrow and rather dangerous passage you must book with the caretaker

The crypt was brought to light by Faustino Gianani in April 1914. According to the story of Paolo Diacono, the church was founded by Queen Gundiperga in the mid-seventh century as a place for her own burial, in a central position in the Roman urban fabric and not far from the Catholic cathedral complex.

The church of San Giovanni in Domnarum is one of the oldest in Pavia and is part of a larger high medieval complex including the church itself, the bell tower and the crypt. [1] It is located in the heart of the historic center, in via Mascheroni, a few steps from the Carmine church with the facade incorporated into a residential complex and the entrance inside a courtyard. In the crypt, which was rediscovered after centuries in 1914, remains of frescoes are visible. The church was founded around the year 654 [2] at the behest of Gundeperga, wife of Roari and Arioaldo and daughter of Queen Teodolinda and Agilulfo to accommodate her burial or to be the seat of the baptismal font for females, hence the title in St. John the Baptist and the specification domnarum (ie "of women") [1]. This is probably the first Catholic church erected by the Lombard kings in the city of Pavia [3]. The church had a prominent role in the city panorama until about the year 1000, also thanks to the patrimonial endowment that had been assigned to it by the founder. Between the ninth and tenth centuries a copious series of imperial diplomas were issued for the church, in which the foundation of Gundiperga is mentioned, while in an act of the bishop of Pavia Bernardo I of 1129 the "pro anima" masses of Queen Gundiperga are attested. they were still celebrated in the church [4]. On the basis of some findings it has been hypothesized that the place housed a thermal building from the Roman era [5]. This pre-existence could explain some irregularities in the plan of both the church and the crypt. In the seventeenth century the provost Torriani completely rebuilt the church following the dictates of the Counter-Reformation and almost entirely demolishing the previous subsistences.

Peace and tranquility seem to enter a place out of time ... very intimate ... wonderful

It is a hidden basilica, the only visible sign is the Romanesque bell tower, to find it you have to enter a courtyard. The church was allegedly founded by Queen Gundiperga daughter of Agilulfo and Teodolinda, as her mausoleum, was dedicated to St. John the Baptist. It was the first Catholic church in the Lombard capital. Spectacular is the crypt discovered in recent times, from the early Romanesque period, which contains frescoes of Christ, angels and some saints.

Unique heritage not adequately valued.

The frescoes in the crypt discovered in 1914 are beautiful; they represent saints of local interest San Siro and Sant'Invenzio (second bishop of Pavia), then there is Sa Gregorio Magno and scenes from the life of Giovanni Battista

Rated 1 for the total neglect of a heritage of the Lombard civilization. Not a sign indicating the position of the church, but above all, a crypt not accessible except by booking a hypothetical custodian. (came to know thanks to the comments on Google eh) Too bad that the number provided on the internet is incorrect or non-existent.