Basilica dei Santi Filippo e Giacomo
The bell tower of Santi Filippo e Giacomo is the fixed point around which Cortina d'Ampezzo organises itself. Over 70 metres tall and audible long before you see it, the Ciampanín — as locals call it — has marked the hours here since its six Innsbruck-cast bells rang out for the first time on Christmas Day, 1858.
The basilica itself is an 18th-century Baroque structure, built between 1769 and 1775 to the designs of Joseph Promperg. Step inside and the single nave opens into a wide presbytery lit by two rectangular windows, with frescoes, an Andrea Brustolon altar, and a 1954 Mauracher organ that still carries Mass.
💛 What travellers fall for
People who come back to Cortina tend to walk through the basilica on arrival, before the lifts and the mountains take over. The three Luigi Ghedina frescoes reward a slow look — the Martyrdom of St. Philip in particular. Early morning, when Corso Italia is still quiet, the bells carry differently across the valley.
The story behind Basilica dei Santi Filippo e Giacomo
Two earlier churches stood on this ground before the present building — the first dating to the 13th century, a second rebuilt in the 16th. The current Baroque structure was commissioned in the mid-18th century and completed in 1775, with interior frescoes painted by Franz Anton Zeiller and later additions by Giuseppe Ghedina in 1859.
The bell tower came later: Silvestro Franceschi broke ground in 1852, and the six bells — cast that year in Innsbruck by the Grassmayr foundry and tuned in B-flat — rang for the first time on Christmas 1858. During the First World War, the bells were reportedly saved from being melted down for cannon metal. In 2011, Pope Benedict XVI elevated the church to the status of minor basilica.
Good to know
Entry is free. The basilica sits between pedestrian Corso Italia and Via Cesare Battisti in central Cortina — you'll pass it regardless of where you're headed. From Venice, the Cortina Express coach takes roughly 2.5 hours; tickets and timetables are at the Cortina Info Point on Piazza Roma.
Where is Basilica dei Santi Filippo e Giacomo?
Location
- In Cortina d'Ampezzo
- 46.5403, 12.1358
- Open in Google Maps
Rating
4.6 ★ · 210 Google reviews
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What travellers say about Basilica dei Santi Filippo e Giacomo
An icon and holy place of worship in the town. Beautiful during the day and also at night.
The Basilica is impressive both outside, with its stunning mountain backdrop, and inside, with its rich Baroque style. We spent some time admiring it and listening to the bells ringing in multiple tones. The Basilica is dedicated to two of the 12 Apostles - Filippi (Phillip) and Giacomo (James), the patron saints of Cortina D'Ampezzo.
I went there at 5:45 p.m., and there was a service. It’s a beautiful historical church in the center of Cortina. It’s an iconic, must-visit historical church while in cortina.
Beautiful church. Lovely priest & excellent mass.
Great church for visitor to come and see
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