The bishop's residence has been located in Brixen since the sixth century. Between 960 and 990 AD, Brixen supplanted nearby Säben as the episcopal see, and has retained its status since that time.
Brixen Cathedral is the highest-ranking church in South Tyrol, and historically one of the most interesting. Today, the cathedral thus reflects almost all architectural styles from the Early Romanesque. The original Ottonian building took on a new Romanesque design in the twelfth century, gaining a three-aisled nave with crypt and three apses in addition to two front towers. There were more additions in the Gothic and Baroque periods.
The North Tower got its early Baroque style between 1610 and 1613. Large-scale modifications were made between 1745 and 1754. Theodor Benedetti’s high altar and the statues and frescoes by Paul Troger, Joseph Schöpf, Dominikus Molling and Michelangelo Unterperger originated from this period. Jacob Pirchstaller’s classical vestibule dates to 1783.
The cathedral is open daily.
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.