Basilica di San Tommaso Apostolo

The Basilica di San Tommaso Apostolo in Ortona, Abruzzo, is one of southern Italy's foremost pilgrimage churches and the resting place of the relics of the Apostle Thomas. Founded in 1127, the structure draws on early Christian and Romanesque traditions and is classified as an Italian national monument. According to tradition, Thomas's remains were transferred to Ortona in 1258 from the Greek island of Chios, a translocation that established the basilica as a major pilgrimage destination throughout the medieval period. Pope Pius IX elevated it to a basilica minor in December 1859. Today it serves as co-cathedral of the Archdiocese of Lanciano-Ortona, and the apostle's shrine continues to draw pilgrims from across central Italy.