Viterbo Cathedral

Viterbo Cathedral (Duomo di San Lorenzo) is the main Roman Catholic church of Viterbo, dedicated to Saint Lawrence. Built in the 12th century on a site linked by legend to an Etruscan temple, it stands on the city’s highest hill and once faced an isolated piazza.

The cathedral reached its peak importance in the 13th century, when it and the adjacent Papal Palace served as the residence of the popes. Popes Alexander IV and John XXI were buried here, though Alexander’s tomb was destroyed in later renovations.

Originally Romanesque, the church was heavily rebuilt in the 16th century under Cardinal Gambarra, who replaced the façade, roof, and much of the interior, adding chapels and decorations themed around his prawn-filled coat of arms. Additional alterations in the 19th and 20th centuries removed much of the original artwork and structure.

Most medieval frescoes are lost; surviving works include a 1472 Christ Blessing, a 12th-century Madonna and Child, and a 1470 baptismal font. The nearby campanile still preserves traces of the cathedral’s original decorative style.

Address
Piazza San Lorenzo 10, Viterbo, Italy

Established
12th century