The Cathedral of San Lorenzo is the Cathedral of Perugia, located in Piazza IV Novembre, in the historical center of the city. The cathedral is dedicated to Saint Lawrence, deacon in the service of Pope Sixtus II, martyred in Rome in the year 258. The church is part of a larger architectural complex which, taken as a whole, is known as the Island of San Lorenzo or the Castle of San Lorenzo. SHORT HISTORY A church was built on this area in the 9th century, on the remains of the ancient forum of the Etruscan city. The church was rebuilt later, between the 11th and the 12th centuries, to house the remains of the bishop Ercolano, martyred during the Ostrogoth invasion, in the 6th century. At the beginning of the 14th century, the church was expanded under the supervision of the Benedictine monk Bevignate of Cingoli. A considerable time passed between the planning and the completion of the works, two centuries later, in 1507. In the second half of the 19th century, by the will of Cardinal Gioacchino Pecci, then bishop of Perugia and future pontiff, the cathedral received a Neo-Gothic appearance, which was preserved to this day. Read more [...]