Cathedrals in Italy

Troia Cathedral

Troia Cathedral is a masterpiece of Apulian Romanesque architecture and is particularly noted for the rose window and the bronze doors of the west front. Formerly the seat of the Bishops of Troia, it is now a co-cathedral in the diocese of Lucera-Troia. A Byzantine church formerly stood on the site, apparently constructed largely from the remains of Roman buildings. Work on a new cathedral began in the last quarter of th ...
Founded: 11th century | Location: Troia, Italy

Molfetta Cathedral

Molfetta Cathedral is dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary and Saint Ignatius Loyola. Originally a Jesuit church, it became the seat of the bishops of Molfetta in the late 18th century. Since 1986 it has been the episcopal seat of the Diocese of Molfetta-Ruvo-Giovinazzo-Terlizzi. The present cathedral was built by the Jesuits during the 17th century and dedicated to their founder, Saint Ignatius Loyo ...
Founded: 1610-1744 | Location: Molfetta, Italy

Nardò Cathedral

Nardò Cathedral has been since 1986 the episcopal seat of the diocese of Nardò-Gallipoli. The present cathedral probably stands on the site of a Byzantine church. In 1080, a church was built here by the conquering Normans, which was elevated to the status of a cathedral in the early 15th century. The building has undergone a number of refurbishments. The present façade dates to 1710–1725. The interior contains both ...
Founded: 1080 | Location: Nardò, Italy

Casale Monferrato Cathedral

Casale Monferrato Cathedral is dedicated to Saint Evasius. It is the episcopal seat of the Diocese of Casale Monferrato. The present Romanesque and Gothic structure was first consecrated in 1107 or 1108, but a previous church from the 9th century stood on the site. The cathedral has a narthex. The interior has five naves, of which the central one is marked by tall polychrome columns rising two storeys. The ceiling ...
Founded: 1107 | Location: Casale Monferrato, Italy

Sarzana Cathedral

Sarzana Cathedral was built on the site of the former pieve of San Basilio and was under construction from 1204 to 1474, when the upper part of the west front was completed by Leonardo Riccomanni of Pietrasanta. In 1735 three statues of popes were added to the top of the façade: Saint Eutychianus in the centre between Pope Sergius IV and Pope Nicholas V. The church is in a Romanesque-Gothic style. It has a west front of ...
Founded: 1204-1474 | Location: Sarzana, Italy

Ruvo Co-Cathedral

Ruvo Cathedral (Concattedrale di Ruvo di Puglia) is now a co-cathedral in the Diocese of Molfetta-Ruvo-Giovinazzo-Terlizzi. The building is an important example of late Apulian Romanesque architecture, built between the 12th and 13th centuries, with several later alterations. The current exterior is the result of early 20th-century restoration works which removed the Baroque additions. The church has a sloped façade ...
Founded: 12th century | Location: Ruvo di Puglia, Italy

Susa Cathedral

Susa Cathedral is the seat of the Bishop of Susa and is dedicated to Saint Justus of Novalesa. In origin it was the church of the Benedictine Abbey of St. Justus, established in 1029 by Marchese Olderico Manfredi to house the newly discovered relics of Saint Justus. The church was built around 1100 and has since been refurbished and restored several times. It was not until 1772 that the bishopric of Susa was created ...
Founded: c. 1100 | Location: Susa, Italy

Bitonto Co-Cathedral

Bitonto Cathedral, dedicated to Saint Mary, was the seat of the small Bishopric of Bitonto from the bishopric"s foundation, believed to be in the 8th century, until 1818, when it was combined with the neighbouring Diocese of Ruvo to form the Diocese of Ruvo e Bitonto. This was separated again in 1982, and the Diocese of Bitonto, with Bitonto Cathedral as its seat, was briefly revived, but was combined with the Archdi ...
Founded: 11th century | Location: Bitonto, Italy

Pozzuoli Cathedral

ThevPozzuoli Cathedral site probably originated as part of the town"s capitolium of the Greek or Samnite era, radically rebuilt in the Republican and Augustan eras. Between the end of the 5th and the start of the 6th century the inhabitants of the town decided to rededicate the temple as a church to Proculus of Pozzuoli. In 1538 it suffered major damage as Tripergole subsided and Monte Nuovo was formed. Bishop ...
Founded: 1538 | Location: Pozzuoli, Italy

Ragusa Cathedral

Ragusa Cathedral is dedicated to Saint John the Baptist. The present church dates from the early 18th century. It has been the seat of the Bishops of Ragusa since the establishment of the diocese in 1950. A church of San Giovanni Battista stood before the 1693 Sicily earthquake in the west of the old town of Ragusa (Ragusa Ibla) under the walls of a medieval castle, where there now stands the church of St. Agnes. Se ...
Founded: 1694 | Location: Ragusa, Italy

Biella Cathedral

Biella Cathedral was built since 1402 to the site of older medieval church. Several surviving stone capitals were used to decorate the semi-columns of the choir and of the final aisle arches in the reconstruction. Rebuilding was concluded after 1404 but work continued for over a century to finish the trim and decorations.The oldest and most and important testimony to the reconstruction of the church is found on a green st ...
Founded: 1402 | Location: Biella, Italy

Belluno Cathedral

Belluno Cathedral (Duomo di Belluno) stands on the site of a palaeo-Christian church. A subsequent church dedicated to Saint Martin and built in around in 850 is documented. The present building was built between 1517 and 1624, to plans by the architect Tullio Lombardo, in the style of the Renaissance. The cupola was completed only in 1756. The campanile dates from the 18th century and is by Filippo Juvarra. The unfinish ...
Founded: 1517-1624 | Location: Belluno, Italy

Barletta Cathedral

Barletta Cathedral (Concattedrale di Santa Maria Maggiore) is currently a co-cathedral in the Archdiocese of Trani-Barletta-Bisceglie. It was built in two different styles, Romanesque and Gothic, from the 12th century to the 14th century. The church occupies the site of ancient hypogeum structures dating from the late 4th-early 3rd centuries BC, attributed to an ancient temple dedicated to Neptune. From the 6th centur ...
Founded: 1267 | Location: Barletta, Italy

Acquaviva delle Fonti Co-Cathedral

The co-cathedral of Saint Eustace is the main church of Acquaviva delle Fonti. It is now a co-cathedral of the Diocese of Altamura-Gravina-Acquaviva delle Fonti. Previously it was the palatine church of Acquaviva delle Fonti, which became part of the territorial prelature of Altamura e Acquaviva delle Fonti formed by Pius IX in 1848, when he added Acquaviva to the existing territorial prelature of Altamura. Built in Roma ...
Founded: 1158 | Location: Acquaviva delle Fonti, Italy

Piazza Armerina Cathedral

Piazza Armerina Cathedral is dedicated to Mary of the Victories (Maria Santissima delle Vittorie). It is the seat of the Bishops of Piazza Armerina. Built on the foundations of an earlier church of the 15th century and based on a design by architect Orazio Torriani, its construction began in 1604 and ended in 1719, while the dome was added in 1768. It became the seat of the Diocese of Piazza (later Piazza Armerina) when ...
Founded: 1604-1719 | Location: Piazza Armerina, Italy

Lucera Cathedral

Lucera Cathedral is the seat of the Bishop of Lucera-Troia and is also a minor basilica. In its present form it originates mostly from the 14th century. It is one of the very few buildings in Apulia in which the Gothic architectural style of the medieval French rulers appears almost unaltered. The church is located in the historical town centre, on the Piazza del Duomo. The dedication, to the Assumption of the Blessed V ...
Founded: 1317 | Location: Lucera, Italy

Aosta Cathedral

Aosta Cathedral was originally built in the 4th century. In the 11th century the Palaeo-Christian structure was replaced by a new one, dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary and Saint John the Baptist. The architecture of the cathedral was modified during the 15th and 16th century. The present façade, in Neoclassical style, was built between 1846 and 1848. The structures remaining from the Romanesque per ...
Founded: 11th century | Location: Aosta, Italy

Acqui Cathedral

While the bishopric has been established since at least the 4th century, the present Acqui Cathedral building was begun under bishop Primo (989-1018) and was consecrated in 1067 by bishop Guido. The ground plan is in the shape of a Latin cross, and there are five aisles (but until the 18th century, only three), terminating in three semi-circular apses. Of the Romanesque structure there still remain visible the apses, the ...
Founded: 1067 | Location: Acqui Terme, Italy

Pinerolo Cathedral

Pinerolo Cathedral is mentioned for the first time in 1044 when Marquis Enrico of Monferrato and Countess Adelaide gave three manses located in Pinerolo to the church of San Donato. On October 26th, 1078 Countess Adelaide herself and her sister, Agnese, gave the collegiate churches of San Maurizio and San Donato to the Monastery of Abbadia with the praise and the approval of Cuniberto, Bishop of Turin, who was also the ca ...
Founded: 11th century | Location: Pinerolo, Italy

Crema Cathedral

The first cathedral in Crema was destroyed by Frederick Barbarossa in 1160. A new building was begun in 1185, but construction was halted in 1212, not to begin again until 1284 but in Gothic style. The church was finished in 1340, with the addition in 1385 of a lengthened apse and a crypt. The façade is in typical Lombard Gothic style, with a single portal surmounted, in the lunette, by sculptures of the Madonna and ...
Founded: 1185 | Location: Crema, Italy

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Historic Site of the week

Krickenbeck Castle

Krickenbeck moated castle is one of the oldest on the lower Rhine. Its history dates back to the year 1104, when the castle was first mentioned. It is unclear why the old castle, which was certainly inhabited by Count Reginar, was abandoned or destroyed. In the mid-13th century the castle was moved to the current location. At the end of the 14th century the new castle belonged to the Counts of Kleve.

Johann Friedrich II of Schesaberg converted the castle into a Baroque mansion between 1708-1721. On September 7, 1902, a fire destroyed the entire mansion. From 1903 to 1904, a three-winged castle was built in the Neo-Renaissance style. Today Krickenbeck is a conference center.