Chiesa di Santa Giulia (Church of Santa Giulia), Livorno

The Church of Santa Giulia in Livorno is a small but historically significant place of worship dedicated to the city's patron saint. Originally built as an oratory for the Confraternity of the Blessed Sacrament and Santa Giulia, it is located near the Cathedral (Duomo). Attached to the church are the Oratory of San Ranieri and the Museum of Santa Giulia, which houses sacred furnishings and a notable panel from the Giotto school depicting Saint Giulia, originally from the church near the old port.

In the 16th century, after the demolition of the old parish church near the Old Fortress, the Confraternity built the present oratory in 1602. Over the years, the church has undergone several transformations, including the addition of the oratory of San Ranieri in 1696, and in 1809, the brotherhood was elevated to the status of archconfraternity by Pius IX.

The church’s exterior is simple, with a facade that originally featured statues of Saints Peter and Paul, which were destroyed during World War II. The interior, a rectangular hall, was also severely damaged during the war. However, the main altar, dating back to the 17th century, retains a notable 13th-century panel of Santa Giulia, attributed to the Master of San Torpè.

The adjacent oratory of San Ranieri, commissioned by Cosimo III de' Medici, boasts a marble floor and frescoed walls and ceiling, though much of the original artwork by Francesco Natali and Alessandro Gherardini was damaged. The restoration, completed in the 1950s, sought to preserve what remained of the frescoes, with about 55% of the original cycle intact.