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About
Spoleto Cathedral (Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta or the Duomo di Spoleto) is a beautiful church in Spoleto dedicated to the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
SHORT HISTORY
The Spoleto Cathedral was built at the end of the 12th century, replacing the building of Santa Maria del Vescovato, which was dating back to the 8th or 9th century. Earlier, on this place, was an ancient christian temple dedicated to the martyr Primiano di Larino.
The crypt of San Primiano, from the 9th century, represents the only remaining element of the building that stood on this place.
ART AND ARCHITECTURE
On the façade of the church, embellished by the mosaic of Solsterno, are the arcades of the portico built in 1491 by Ambrogio Barocci.
Inside the Cathedral, you can find numerous works of art. At the beginning of the left aisle, you can admire the painting by Alberto Sotio (around 1187). The apse has a remarkable painting with Stories of the Virgin by Filippo Lippi, made between 1467 and 1469. You can also find here a bronze sculpture of Urbano VIII by Gian Lorenzo Bernini and a painting by Annibale Carracci.
Interesting is the chapel of Sant’Anna, built in the 14th century, decorated with beautiful frescoes. Particular attention also deserve the chapels Eroli and dell’Assunta (at the beginning of the right aisle), with frescoes by Pintoricchio and Jacopo Siculo, the chapel of the Santissima Icona (in the right transept), inside which is the precious tablet donated in the 1185 by the emperor Federico Barbarossa to the city, as a sign of peace, and that of the Relics (at the end of the left aisle). In the latter, is preserved the autograph letter of St. Francis to Brother Leone.
HOW TO GET THERE
From the Spoleto train station, to the Cathedral, there are approximately 1.6 kilometers, which you can easily walk in about 25 minutes. However, you must know that the town’s relief is not plain, and you might climb a few hundred meters or so.
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