Basilica di San Frediano

Church Lucca, Italy

The Basilica of San Frediano is a Romanesque church in Lucca, located in Piazza San Frediano. Fridianus (Frediano) was an Irish bishop of Lucca in the first half of the sixth century. He had a church built on this spot, dedicated to St. Vincent, a martyr from Zaragoza, Spain. When Fridianus was buried in this church, the church was renamed Ss. Frediano e Vincenzo. Soon after, a community of Augustinian canons was growing around this church. In the Lombard era, the church and the canon were enlarged. In 1104, this order was recognized by Pope Paschal II. The prior of San Frediano later received a rank equal in dignity to that of a bishop.