The 2025 Morgan Europe Trip

March 28, 2025 Orta San Giulio

On Friday, we drove to a small lake town called Ora San Giulio. We walked around a bit and then bought tickets for a short ride to the Island of St. Julian (San Giulio). The island has a long history of both military and spiritual use.

https://aleteia.org/2019/06/24/one-of-the-most-beloved-catholic-sites-in-italy-is-on-a-tiny-lake-island

We went to learn more about Saint Julius who was born in the first half of the 4th century who traveled from Greece evangelizing the Italian peninsula. He and his brother arrived in the area around Lake Orta in the 4th century, founding the first church, the Basilica of St. Julius, on the island. This, however, was St. Julius and his brother's 100 church!

Above Orta San Giulio with the island in the background.

A random dock on the lake.

Typical road in Orta San Giulio

A plaza at the water's edge.

The boats that ferry you across to the island of St. Julius.

Happy passengers!

The large building above all the others is a Benedictine monastery. The bell tower is the Basilica of St. Julius.

This picture is off the website. You can see how tiny the island is. We walked the whole thing.

The inside of the Basilica is as beautiful as you would expect. Here's a little of what I found online.

"Modern archeological research has in fact confirmed that a church was built in very ancient times on the island in the same place where a large basilica now stands dedicated to St Julius; he is also mentioned by the 8th century historian of the Lombards, Paul the Deacon. The current building dates from the 12th century, but has of course undergone numerous changes since then. Of particular interest within it are the pulpit, also of the 12th century, decorated with the symbols of the Evangelists, and some frescos of the late 15th century."

This diagram shows what excavations have found. The red is an apse (a semi-circular, vaulted area at the front of a church were the alter is) dating back to the last decades of the 4th century.

The main altar.

Frescos from the late 15th century.

The pulpit. See description below.

The Basilica is the resting place of St. Julius. Under the high altar in 1697, a crypt was dug and his body was placed. The glass box holds an effigy of the saint. His body is in a tomb below.