Religion in Italy

Religion in Italy — see Demography

  Catholicism (73.9%)
  No religion (15.7%)
  Islam (3.9%)
  Eastern Orthodoxy and Oriental Orthodoxy (3.0%)
  Protestantism (1.0%)
  Other Christianity (0.9%)
  Other religion (1.7%)
Attendance at a place of worship at least once a week per region.
Italy is home to many of the world's largest oldest churches. Clockwise from left: Florence Cathedral, which has the largest brick dome in the world;[1][2] Pisa Cathedral, a notable example of Romanesque architecture, in particular the style known as Pisan Romanesque;[3] Milan Cathedral, the largest Italian church and the third largest in the world; and St Mark's Basilica, one of the best known examples of Italo-Byzantine architecture.[4]
St. Peter's Basilica, viewed from the Tiber, the Vatican Hill in the back and Castel Sant'Angelo to the right, Rome (both the basilica and the hill are part of the sovereign state of Vatican City, the Holy See of the Catholic Church).
Catholicism affiliation by macroregion.
The Great Synagogue, Florence
The Mosque of Rome

Religion in Italy has been historically characterised by the dominance of the Catholic Church, the largest branch of Christianity, since the East–West Schism.[5][6] This is in part due to the importance of Rome in the history of the Church, including its historical status as a leading patriarchate and the presence of the Vatican, the Catholic Church's headquarters and the residence of the Pope—the Bishop of Rome—within its borders (presently as an enclave). However, due to immigration, notably the influx of Muslims, Eastern Orthodox Christians, Protestants, Buddhists and Hindus, as well as proselytism and secularization, religious pluralism in Italy has increased in the 21st century. Italy also features a pre-Christian Jewish community, an autochthonous Protestant church–the Waldensian Evangelical Church and one of the largest shares of Jehovah's Witnesses in the world.

  1. ^ "The Duomo of Florence | Tripleman". tripleman.com. Archived from the original on 6 December 2009. Retrieved 25 March 2010.
  2. ^ "Brunelleschi's Dome". Brunelleschi's Dome.com. Archived from the original on 16 April 2010. Retrieved 25 March 2010.
  3. ^ Watkin, David (2005). A History of Western Architecture. London: Laurence King Publishing. p. 148. ISBN 1856694593.
  4. ^ "Basilica di San Marco". Archived from the original on 5 March 2015. Retrieved 10 February 2016.
  5. ^ Dell'orto, Giovanna (5 October 2023). "The Nones: Italy". Associated Press. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  6. ^ Dell'orto, Giovanna (5 October 2023). "From cradle to casket, life for Italians changes as Catholic faith loses relevance". AP News. Retrieved 6 October 2023.