San Marco Evangelista Minor Basilica

Majestic and imposing, the Minor Basilica of St Mark the Evangelist dominates the landscape of Boretto with its 45-metre dome rising up close to the banks of the River Po.
A symbol of the community’s identity, it stands on the ruins of ancient churches dedicated to the patron saint.
Designed by Boretto-born Luigi Panizzi Moriglo and built between 1871 and 1883, the Basilica was elevated to the title of ‘Minor’ in 1956.
Its fate is intertwined with an extraordinary event: the collapse of the dome in 1988, which occurred on the very same day and at the very same hour as its consecration, 105 years earlier.

Faithfully reconstructed on the outside but featuring innovative techniques on the inside, today the Basilica stands as a unique example of contemporary sacred architecture, thanks to the genius of architects Roberto Alessi and Antonio Raffagli.
Its imposing silhouette, visible from afar along the course of the River Po, continues to bear witness to the faith and creative strength of a community capable of rising from its own ruins.