Church of St. Athanasius, Lucca

The Church of Saint Athanasius is a historical religious site in Lucca, located on the street bearing its name. The earliest records of the church date back to 844, but its present Romanesque structure took shape between the 12th and 13th centuries. Built primarily in brick, with white limestone accentuating the lower façade and forming decorative bands along the exterior, the church showcases a distinctive architectural blend characteristic of Lucca.

The façade features a single portal with an architrave framed by diamond motifs and circular inlays. Two stone lions on the jamb capitals reflect the sculptural style of Guidetto and Lombard masons in 12th–13th century Lucca. Above, 13th-century ceramic basins add a Tuscan medieval touch. A Latin inscription to the right honors priest Enrico Sismondi (d. 1167). A now-sealed secondary portal on the left once had carved foliage and volute capitals.

The church's interior has seen major changes. Originally a single nave with a trussed roof, it was restructured in the late 16th century by rector Pietro Biancalana, adding a barrel-vaulted ceiling and new altars. Notable artworks from this period, still present today, include Madonna and Child with Saints (1568) by Alessandro Ardenti and Crucifix between Saints Lawrence and Julian (1587) by Lorenzo Zacchia.

In the 19th century, the church, then known as the Church of the Gesù, housed the Company of the Most Holy Name of Jesus. After a long closure, it was repurposed as the Romanian Orthodox Church of Saint Anthony the Great, leading to interior changes, including an iconostasis and Orthodox-style decorations. Today, the Church of Saint Athanasius remains a key landmark in Lucca, blending centuries of architectural, artistic, and religious transformations while serving the local Romanian Orthodox community.