The Cathedral of Santa Maria Annunciata is the main Roman Catholic church of Vicenza and the seat of the Diocese of Vicenza. It stands in Piazza Duomo, in the historic center, and is dedicated to the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary. The Vicenza Cathedral is important because it preserves many layers of Vicenza’s religious history, from Roman structures and an early Christian worship space to medieval rebuilding, late Gothic architecture, Renaissance interventions, Palladian additions, and post-war reconstruction. Its archaeological area, chapels, presbytery, and artworks make it one of the key religious monuments in Vicenza. Short History of the Cathedral of Santa Maria Annunciata (Vicenza Cathedral) Roman and Early Christian Origins Studies carried out in the 20th century identified an early Christian worship space on the site of the Cathedral of Santa Maria Annunciata. This first Christian nucleus probably reused parts of a Roman building from the 1st century AD, located in an important urban area of ancient Vicetia. Below the present cathedral, archaeologists found Roman walls, mosaic pavements, heated rooms, and a paved road running about 3 meters below today’s floor level. These remains show that the cathedral stands over a prestigious Roman residential area, later adapted for Christian Read more [...]