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Pavia Cathedral ( it, Duomo di Pavia) is a church in
Pavia
Pavia (, , , ; la, Ticinum; Medieval Latin: ) is a town and comune of south-western Lombardy in northern Italy, south of Milan on the lower Ticino river near its confluence with the Po. It has a population of c. 73,086. The city was the cap ...
, Italy, the largest in the city and seat of the Diocese of Pavia
The Diocese of Pavia ( la, Dioecesis Papiensis) is a see of the Catholic Church in Italy. It has been a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Milan only since 1817.St. Sirus, first
short entry. ''www.paviaedintorni.it''.
The cathedral was begun in 1488, under architect Cristoforo Rocchi, who was soon replaced by 
In 1521, the altar area was completed by Giampietrino Rizzi, a pupil of Da Vinci. By the 17th century, the presbytery had been completed but only in the following century was the 
The monument is a large building. The church develops on three naves (the central double of the lateral ones and crossed by a practicable gallery), both in the longitudinal body and in the transept. The side aisles are flanked by semicircular chapels. The interior, with pure Renaissance architectural lines, gives an impression of great grandeur, amplified by the brightness of the very white marble cladding.
On the counter-façade, two masterpieces of the Baroque period: Madonna and ss. Siro and Antonio, by 
In the apse of the left transept, in the center, the Altar of the Confraternity of suffrage, built by the Genoese Tommaso Orsolino in 1644-46 and remodeled in 1652 with the addition of two columns and other elements of precious marble.
In the apse of the right transept, the Altar of Saint Syrus, first bishop of Pavia (III-IV century), with double front. Above the nineteenth-century crystal urn with the remains of the saint, there is a monumental ancona in white marble with an alabaster base from the Orsolino (1645-1650) depicting the Virgin delivering the keys of the city to Saint Syrus.
On the east side of the right transept is the Chapel of Our Lady of the Rosary previously dedicated to the passion. On the altar there is a canvas by the Pavese artist
Bishop of Pavia
The Diocese of Pavia ( la, Dioecesis Papiensis) is a see of the Catholic Church in Italy. It has been a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Milan only since 1817.Crown of Thorns
According to the New Testament, a woven crown of thorns ( or grc, ἀκάνθινος στέφανος, akanthinos stephanos, label=none) was placed on the head of Jesus during the events leading up to his crucifixion. It was one of the in ...
worn by Christ. The marble facing of the exterior was never completed.
Until recently, next to the cathedral stood the Civic Tower (''Torre Civica''), known in 1330 and enlarged in 1583. It collapsed on March 17, 1989.Pavia e Dintornishort entry. ''www.paviaedintorni.it''.
History
The "twin" cathedrals of Santo Stefano and Santa Maria Maggiore, commonly called Santa Maria del Popolo, once stood on the area currently occupied by the cathedral. The two original churches were founded between the sixth and seventh centuries and subsequently renovated, but around the eleventh-twelfth century they were rebuilt in Romanesque forms. The two churches were deconsecrated and progressively demolished as the Renaissance construction site advanced; the last elements to be destroyed were the remains of the facades, landed at the end of the 19th century to make way for the front of the new Cathedral, while a large part of the crypt (from the 11th century) of Santa Maria del Popolo was preserved.
The cathedral was begun in 1488, under architect Cristoforo Rocchi, who was soon replaced by Giovanni Antonio Amadeo
260px, Amadeo, Milan Cathedral
260px, The Colleoni Chapel in Bergamo.
Giovanni Antonio Amadeo (c. 1447 – 27 or 28 August 1522) was an Italian Renaissance sculptor of the Early Renaissance, architect, and engineer.
Biography
Amadeo was born ...
and Gian Giacomo Dolcebuono. The original project, with a nave and two aisles flanked by semicircular niches and a large central dome, was influenced by Bramante
Donato Bramante ( , , ; 1444 – 11 April 1514), born as Donato di Pascuccio d'Antonio and also known as Bramante Lazzari, was an Italian architect and painter. He introduced Renaissance architecture to Milan and the High Renaissance style ...
, some details of it later appearing in St. Peter's Basilica
The Papal Basilica of Saint Peter in the Vatican ( it, Basilica Papale di San Pietro in Vaticano), or simply Saint Peter's Basilica ( la, Basilica Sancti Petri), is a church built in the Renaissance style located in Vatican City, the papal e ...
in Rome. Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci (15 April 14522 May 1519) was an Italian polymath of the High Renaissance who was active as a painter, Drawing, draughtsman, engineer, scientist, theorist, sculptor, and architect. While his fame initially res ...
is also known to have contributed to the project.
In particular, the planimetric project, the design of the crypt (completed in 1492), of the base part of the apse area of the building and of the sacristies are attributed to Bramante
Donato Bramante ( , , ; 1444 – 11 April 1514), born as Donato di Pascuccio d'Antonio and also known as Bramante Lazzari, was an Italian architect and painter. He introduced Renaissance architecture to Milan and the High Renaissance style ...
. The crypt, like other buildings made by Bramante, has a central plan, divided into two naves structured on two spans. The large pillars, which support lowered vaults, and the pointed arches of the central nave recall the thermal rooms of the classical age and the ''nymphaeums'', such as that of the ''Horti Sallustiani'' in Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus (legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
.
In 1521, the altar area was completed by Giampietrino Rizzi, a pupil of Da Vinci. By the 17th century, the presbytery had been completed but only in the following century was the tambour
In classical architecture, a tambour ( Fr.: "drum") is the inverted bell of the Corinthian capital around which are carved acanthus leaves for decoration.
The term also applies to the wall of a circular structure, whether on the ground or rais ...
built, while the dome itself and the facade had to wait for the 19th century. The dome was designed by Carlo Maciachini
Carlo Francesco Maciachini (sometimes spelled Maciacchini; 2 April 1818 – 10 June 1899) was an Italian architect and restorer. Born near Varese, he studied in Milan, where he also realized some of his most important works, most notably the Monu ...
and completed in 1885, but partially collapsed the same year. In 1930, construction continued with the two arms of the transept
A transept (with two semitransepts) is a transverse part of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In cruciform churches, a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave in a cruciform ("cross-shaped") building wi ...
, for which the original plan was followed, although using reinforced concrete (in order to save the remains of the medieval Santa Maria del Popolo). The arms are still missing part of the internal marble decoration.
Overview
The church is on the Greek Cross plan: it therefore has the same length and width at the transept. At about , it is one of the largest edifices with a central plan in northern Italy. The central dome, with an octagonal plan, is tall, with a total weight of some 20,000 tons. It is the fourth in Italy in size, afterSt. Peter's Basilica
The Papal Basilica of Saint Peter in the Vatican ( it, Basilica Papale di San Pietro in Vaticano), or simply Saint Peter's Basilica ( la, Basilica Sancti Petri), is a church built in the Renaissance style located in Vatican City, the papal e ...
, the Pantheon
Pantheon may refer to:
* Pantheon (religion), a set of gods belonging to a particular religion or tradition, and a temple or sacred building
Arts and entertainment Comics
*Pantheon (Marvel Comics), a fictional organization
* ''Pantheon'' (Lone S ...
and the Cathedral of Florence
Florence Cathedral, formally the (; in English Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Flower), is the cathedral of Florence, Italy ( it, Duomo di Firenze). It was begun in 1296 in the Gothic style to a design of Arnolfo di Cambio and was structurally ...
.
The monument is a large building. The church develops on three naves (the central double of the lateral ones and crossed by a practicable gallery), both in the longitudinal body and in the transept. The side aisles are flanked by semicircular chapels. The interior, with pure Renaissance architectural lines, gives an impression of great grandeur, amplified by the brightness of the very white marble cladding.
On the counter-façade, two masterpieces of the Baroque period: Madonna and ss. Siro and Antonio, by Giovanni Battista Crespi
Giovanni Battista Crespi (23 December 1573 – 23 October 1632), called Il Cerano, was an Italian painter, sculptor, and architect.
Biography
He was born in Romagnano Sesia, the son of a painter, Raffaele Crespi, and moved to Cerano with his ...
, known as Cerano, and Adoration of the Magi, by Daniele Crespi
Daniele Crespi (159819 July 1630) was an Italian painter and draughtsman. He is regarded as one of the most original artists working in Milan in the 1620s. He broke away from the exaggerated manner of Lombard Mannerism in favour of an early B ...
. In the apse there is an imposing Baroque decoration, consisting of stuccos and frescoes. The structure depicts a radiant cave with golden clouds in the center of which two angels hold up a large crown of thorns. Around it there are cherubs and angels and on the sides two symbolic figures of Religion and the Fatherland. This plant surrounds the seventeenth-century reliquary in silver and crystal containing the Holy Thorns of Christ's crown. In fact, three thorns are preserved in the Cathedral, which according to tradition were found by Saint Helena, mother of Emperor Constantine
Constantine most often refers to:
* Constantine the Great, Roman emperor from 306 to 337, also known as Constantine I
*Constantine, Algeria, a city in Algeria
Constantine may also refer to:
People
* Constantine (name), a masculine given name ...
, around 327. The thorns are lowered from above during the Pentecost vigil to be carried in procession on following Monday. This tradition has been repeated since 1645.
In the apse of the left transept, in the center, the Altar of the Confraternity of suffrage, built by the Genoese Tommaso Orsolino in 1644-46 and remodeled in 1652 with the addition of two columns and other elements of precious marble.
In the apse of the right transept, the Altar of Saint Syrus, first bishop of Pavia (III-IV century), with double front. Above the nineteenth-century crystal urn with the remains of the saint, there is a monumental ancona in white marble with an alabaster base from the Orsolino (1645-1650) depicting the Virgin delivering the keys of the city to Saint Syrus.
On the east side of the right transept is the Chapel of Our Lady of the Rosary previously dedicated to the passion. On the altar there is a canvas by the Pavese artist Bernardino Gatti
Bernardino Gatti (c.1495 – 22 February 1576) was an Italian painter of the Renaissance, active mainly in Parma and Cremona. He is also commonly called il Sojaro.
He was born in or near Pavia or Cremona. His early apprenticeship is unclear, ...
known as Sojaro (1530-1531) depicting the Madonna with the child, Saint Dominc and Saint Alexander. Fifteen episodes referring to the mysteries of the rosary are represented in the outline of the painting (to be read counterclockwise).
In the left aisle, in the third chapel, there is an altarpiece depicting the ''Immaculate Conception''. painted by Federico Faruffini
Federico Faruffini (1833–1869) was an Italian painter and engraver of historical subjects, in a style that combines the styles and themes of Realism with the diffuse outlines and lively colors of Scapigliatura painters.
Biography
Born in Sesto ...
on behalf of the canon Giovanni Battista Bosisio in 1857. At the foot of the Virgin you can see the outline of the city of Pavia, while on the architrave there is the inscription ''Fecit mihi magna qui potens est''. On the sides of the altar are the statues of the parents of the Virgin, Joachim and Anna. The remains of the bishop of Pavia Saint Damian of Pavia
Damian of Pavia (also ''Damianus Ticinensis, Damianus Mediolanensis, Damianus Biscossia'') was Bishop of Pavia (Ticinum) from 680, succeeding bishop Anastasius. He mediated relations between the Lombards and the Byzantine emperors.
Damian wrot ...
(VII century) are placed under the altar.
See also
*History of medieval Arabic and Western European domes
The early domes of the Middle Ages, particularly in those areas recently under Byzantine control, were an extension of earlier Roman architecture. The domed church architecture of Italy from the sixth to the eighth centuries followed that of the ...
* History of Italian Renaissance domes
Italian Renaissance domes were designed during the Renaissance period of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries in Italy. Beginning in Florence, the style spread to Rome and Venice and made the combination of dome, drum, and barrel vaults standar ...
* History of early modern period domes
Domes built in the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries relied primarily on empirical techniques and oral traditions rather than the architectural treatises of the time, but the study of dome structures changed radically due to developments in mathemati ...
References
{{portal bar, Catholicism, Italy 17th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in ItalyCathedral
A cathedral is a church that contains the '' cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denominatio ...
Pavia
Pavia (, , , ; la, Ticinum; Medieval Latin: ) is a town and comune of south-western Lombardy in northern Italy, south of Milan on the lower Ticino river near its confluence with the Po. It has a population of c. 73,086. The city was the cap ...
Cathedrals in Lombardy
Renaissance architecture in Lombardy