Chiesa di Sant'Alessandro

This guide to the Chiesa di Sant'Alessandro in Lucca opens with an argument historians still haven't settled: four competing theories place its origins anywhere from the eight hundred nineties to the twelfth century. You'll hear why the confusion persists, from masons who deliberately imitated Roman architecture down to Corinthian capitals and salvaged Egyptian red granite columns. The guide also covers the twelfth century sculptor Biduino, whose workshop later carved a new portal onto the older facade. Look closely at the stonework around you as you listen for the layers this argument turns on.