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The construction of Novara Cathedral began in the 11th century of the original church on the site, which was consecrated in 1132. It was demolished in the mid-19th century to make way for the current structure, which incorporates from its predecessor the mosaic floor of the presbytery and a chapel dedicated to Saint Syrus. The present Neo-Classical cathedral was designed by the architect Alessandro Antonelli and was built between 1863 and 1869. It has recently undergone a 12-year-long restoration project which was completed in November 2009.
The baptistry, a separate structure although functionally part of the cathedral, is a Palaeo-Christian building dating from the 4th-5th centuries.
References:The church of the former Franciscan monastery was built probably between 1515 and 1520. It is located in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Old Rauma. The church stands by the small stream of Raumanjoki (Rauma river).
The exact age of the Church of the Holy Cross is unknown, but it was built to serve as the monastery church of the Rauma Franciscan Friary. The monastery had been established in the early 15th century and a wooden church was built on this location around the year 1420.
The Church of the Holy Cross served the monastery until 1538, when it was abandoned for a hundred years as the Franciscan friary was disbanded in the Swedish Reformation. The church was re-established as a Lutheran church in 1640, when the nearby Church of the Holy Trinity was destroyed by fire.
The choir of the two-aisle grey granite church features medieval murals and frescoes. The white steeple of the church was built in 1816 and has served as a landmark for seafarers.