Palmi Cathedral is the principal church of Palmi in Italy, and co-cathedral of the diocese of Oppido Mamertina-Palmi. There are no accurate reports on the age in which this parish was established. Between 1310 and 1311, is attested in Palmi a church of St. Nicholas was the only one in the village. The church of St. Nicholas is again reminded in some acts of 1532. The church, in 1586, stood clear of the city walls.
In the 18th century, the clergy and the authorities of Palmi strove because the church was elevated to a collegiate church. The church, which was rebuilt in the period 1740–1743, was destroyed by the 1783 Calabrian earthquakes. In March 1786 the church was rebuilt.
The church was again damaged by an earthquake in 1894. Then it was provided once again in its reconstruction, but came the 1908 Messina earthquake which caused further serious damage to the structure that prejudiced use. Therefore, in 1909, proceeded to the demolition of the building.
The new and current collegiate church of St. Nicholas, was opened for worship in 1932 and was dedicated to the 'Madonna of the Letter', the main protector of the city.
In the main façade, next to the church was completed in 1956 the Civic Tower with clock.
The building is in Romanesque Revival architecture style. In the main facade is placed an artistic canopy and a porch and a small 'portico' with four columns. On the left side there is the civic tower town which functions also as a bell tower of the church.
In its interior, with a Latin cross plan, there is a nave and two aisles on which there are two apses, respectively, to St. Nicholas, the patron saint of Palmi, and to the Sacred Heart.
Above the cover are octagonal dome, without windows, and side of the church there is a chapel to officiate minor functions.
In the walls of the aisles you can see a painting of 'St. Joseph with the Child Jesus' (1892), a painting of 'St. Francis of Assisi in adoration of the Cross' (1932), a wooden statue of 'St. Joseph with the Child Jesus' (18th century), a statue a wooden 'Assumption of Mary' (18th century).
On the main altar, made of marble, is exposed a precious ancient icon of 'Our Lady of the Letter' (1774).
In a chapel, built recently, is a shrine in which is placed the relic of the Holy Hair.
References:The Amphitheatre of the Three Gauls was part of the federal sanctuary of the three Gauls dedicated to the cult of Rome and Augustus celebrated by the 60 Gallic tribes when they gathered at Lugdunum (Lyon). The amphitheatre was built at the foot of the La Croix-Rousse hill at what was then the confluence of the Rhône and Saône.
Excavations have revealed a basement of three elliptical walls linked by cross-walls and a channel surrounding the oval central arena. The arena was slightly sloped, with the building"s south part supported by a now-vanished vault. The arena"s dimensions are 67,6m by 42m. This phase of the amphitheatre housed games which accompanied the imperial cult, with its low capacity (1,800 seats) being enough for delegations from the 60 Gallic tribes.
The amphitheatre was expanded at the start of the 2nd century. Two galleries were added around the old amphitheatre, raising its width from 25 metres to 105 metres and its capacity to about 20,000 seats. In so doing it made it a building open to the whole population of Lugdunum and its environs.