The Chatedral

The Cathedral, in Lombard style, was settled on the area where an old Roman building lay. The works began during the first years of 12th century, but a fire entirely destroyed the church in 1190. Then the church was rebuilt . During the centuries the church underwent rearrangements: the fa?ade had a higher central nave and two lateral lower ones, corresponding to the minor naves./aisles?
In 1500 three circular windows were opened above the three entrance doors: a bigger one, on the top of the fa?ade, is an extremely elegant window.
The round arched door is decorated with acanthus leaves . The wooden engraved door ( oak and nut) which replaces the old one destroyed first by a thunder in 1533, then by a violent storm in 1623, dates back to 1639. The upper panels of the old door are in walnut and they still remain
The church is seat of the episcopal chair since the 2nd century. It is Latin cross, it is divided into three naves . A little nave, named navatina, was added on the right by BonifacioVIII.. In the rear wall there is the great fresco painted by Ferra? Fenzone, called "Il Faenzone", which took inspiration from the Universal Judgement of Michelangelo. This is the only rearrangement wanted by Angelo Cesi in the 16th century, which still remains. Every other modification was destroyed in 1958 in order to restore the ancient structure.
On the wall of the second arch, in the fourth nave, there is a fresco depicting the Trinity painted by the artist Lo Spagna. On the right one can admire the so-called Madonna di Pian di Porto, a rare example of iconographic representation of the 13th century.
In the centre of the Presbytery there is the Gothic altar, and behind it, along the apse wall, one can admire the wooden choir, a superb work of engraving and inlay.