Civita Castellana Cathedral

Civita Castellana Cathedral edifice was built from around 1185, over a pre-existing church, and was completed with the construction of the portico in 1210. The latter saw the intervention of the Roman Cosmati family of architects and marble workers.

After centuries of decay, in the 18th century the church was totally restored and the interior was renovated in Baroque style. The two aisles were turned into side chapels, communicating with each other, thus keeping only a single nave. A plaque on the building's exterior commemorates Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's sojourn in Civita Castellana on 17 July 1770: he also played the cathedral's organ at Mass of that day, a Sunday.

Exterior

The church is preceded by a 13th-century portico, in whose architrave was once a mosaic frieze with gilded letters. Today only a few fragments of the latter can be seen. The cathedral has three entrance gates and a Romanesque bell tower.

Interior

The church has a single nave, with side chapels which communicate with each other. The nave ends in a transept which precedes the raised sanctuary, under which is the crypt. In the transept's arms are two monumental Baroque altars: the right one is dedicated to the Madonna of the Light, and incorporates an 11th-century fresco; the left-hand altar is dedicated to the Madonna of the Rosary, and has a 16th-century canvas surrounded by 15 panels, depicting the mystery of the rosary.

The high altar, located in the sanctuary or presbytery is one of the most precious works of art in the church. It consists of a 4th-century Roman-Palaeochristian sarcophagus with seven niches which are decorated by biblical episodes. At the end of the presbytery, over the wooden choir, is a canvas by Pietro Nelli (Annunciation), while at the sides are two frescoes of the Resurrection of John and the Martyrdom of Saints John and Marcianus.

A door on the left side of the presbytery leads to the oratory of the Heart of the Virgin Mary , built as a chapel in the 14th century. This houses important medieval works including several 12th-century frescoes depicting a Madonna with Saints, an Angel and other Saintsthe front section of an early Middle Ages (9th-century) sarcophagus and two Cosmatesque parapets flanked by two lions, originally in the cathedral's presbytery, dated to c. 1231-1240.

Under the presbytery is the crypt, with cross-vaults, dating to the 12th century but renewed later. It houses two Renaissance marble ciboria, originally in the presbytery but walled here during the 18th-century renovation works.

Address
Via Santi Giovanni E Marciano Martiri 2, Civita Castellana, Italy

Established
12th century