Fidenza Cathedral ( it, Duomo di Fidenza; Cattedrale di San Donnino) is a

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

cathedral 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 denomination ...

in the center of the town of

Fidenza Fidenza (Parmigiano: ; locally ) is a town and ''comune ''in the province of Parma, Emilia-Romagna region, Italy. It has around 27,000 inhabitants. The town was renamed Fidenza in 1927, recalling its Roman name of ''Fidentia''; before, it was cal ...

province of Parma The Province of Parma ( it, Provincia di Parma) is a province in the Emilia–Romagna region of Italy. Its largest town and capital is the city of Parma. It is made up of 47 ''comuni''. It has an area of and a total population of around 450,000 ...

, region of

Emilia Romagna egl, Emigliàn (man) egl, Emiglièna (woman) rgn, Rumagnòl (man) rgn, Rumagnòla (woman) it, Emiliano (man) it, Emiliana (woman) or it, Romagnolo (man) it, Romagnola (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title ...

, Italy. It is the episcopal seat of the Diocese of Fidenza, known until 1927 as the Diocese of Borgo San Donnino. The lower facade retains its original Romanesque sculptural decoration

History

Duomo di fidenza, interno, statua di san donnino 02

Construction of the cathedral began in the 12th century. It was dedicated to Saint Domninus of Fidenza, who was martyred by order of the Emperor

Maximian Maximian ( la, Marcus Aurelius Valerius Maximianus; c. 250 – c. July 310), nicknamed ''Herculius'', was Roman emperor from 286 to 305. He was ''Caesar'' from 285 to 286, then ''Augustus'' from 286 to 305. He shared the latter title with his ...

in 304 AD. The saint's relics were brought here in 1207, and are believed to be contained in an urn in the crypt. The town's previous name, Borgo San Donnino, was given in honor of the saint. The church survived the sack and destruction of the town of Fidenza in 1268. The apse and façade were completed a few decades later. The upper part of the façade is incomplete, but the lower, with its three portals and sculptures, is a fine example of

Romanesque architecture Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of medieval Europe characterized by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque style, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 11th century, this lat ...

, including two statues by

Benedetto Antelami Benedetto Antelami (c. 1150 – c. 1230)"Antelami, Benedetto" in ''Encyclopædia Britannica, The New Encyclopædia Britannica''. Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 15th edn., 1992, Vol. 1, p. 441. was an Italian architect and sculpture, sc ...

and bas-reliefs depicting the ''Histories of St. Domninus''. The interior is simple and well-proportioned, and has not been spoilt by restoration. The statue at the front of the cathedral of the apostle

Simon Peter ) (Simeon, Simon) , birth_date = , birth_place = Bethsaida, Gaulanitis, Syria, Roman Empire , death_date = Between AD 64–68 , death_place = probably Vatican Hill, Rome, Italia, Roman Empire , parents = John (or Jonah; Jona) , occupatio ...

is famous for its pointing in the direction of

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 ...

. Fidenza was in fact a leg within the

Via Francigena The Via Francigena () is an ancient road and pilgrimage route running from the cathedral city of Canterbury in England, through France and Switzerland, to Rome and then to Apulia, Italy, where there were ports of embarkation for the Holy Land. It w ...

. Side chapels continued to be added into the 16th century. Other

low relief Relief is a sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces are bonded to a solid background of the same material. The term ''relief'' is from the Latin verb ''relevo'', to raise. To create a sculpture in relief is to give the impression that the ...

s of the Anthelami's school are kept in the

apse In architecture, an apse (plural apses; from Latin 'arch, vault' from Ancient Greek 'arch'; sometimes written apsis, plural apsides) is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome, also known as an ''exedra''. In ...

and in the diocesan museum of Fidenza. The complex figurative programme intersects the ''Glory of Christ'', episodes of the Old and the New Testament, the life of Saint Domninus and other medieval historical traditions, as well as legends and fantastic images. Pictures realized a book of the Christian faith,a book which was conceived with a didactic purpose and destinated to believers and pilgrims of different languages, cultures or completely illiterate. This was not unusual in the Middle Age's Roman Catholic cathedrals. The altarpiece depicting the ''Purification of Mary'', by Andrea Mainardi (''il Chiaveghino'') was painted for the church circa 1600. The raised altar may be accessed by a series of smooth marble rungs that introduces to the

choir A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which ...

. The

episcopal seat 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 denominations ...

is located in the west side of the altar, instead of the southern position which is more usual within the Modernist chiurches. Plaed at the extremity of the altar, two staircases which give access to the

crypt A crypt (from Latin ''crypta'' "vault") is a stone chamber beneath the floor of a church or other building. It typically contains coffins, sarcophagi, or religious relics. Originally, crypts were typically found below the main apse of a chur ...

where the holy relics of the saint are shown.

Sculptural decoration

Fidenza Cathedral, even in its incomplete state, preserves masterly Romanesque elements. The brick façade is flanked by two bell-towers, and has three entrance portals. The central portal has a protruding portico held aloft by thin columns with lion bases. Antelami in this portal sculpted the prophets David and Ezekiel flanking the doorway. In this portal, scenes narrate the life of Saint Domninus and subsequent miracles, who started as chamberlain to the Roman Emperor Maximian. Domninus' conversion led to his martyrdom. Other scenes depict the life of the Virgin, and a statue of Saint Peter. The side portals have carvings depicting

Charlemagne Charlemagne ( , ) or Charles the Great ( la, Carolus Magnus; german: Karl der Große; 2 April 747 – 28 January 814), a member of the Carolingian dynasty, was King of the Franks from 768, King of the Lombards from 774, and the first Holy ...

and

Pope Adrian II Pope Adrian II ( la, Adrianus II; also Hadrian II; 79214 December 872) was the bishop of Rome and ruler of the Papal States from 867 to his death. He continued the policy of his predecessor, Nicholas I. Despite seeking good relations with Loui ...

. Other carvings depict

Hercules Hercules (, ) is the Roman equivalent of the Greek divine hero Heracles, son of Jupiter and the mortal Alcmena. In classical mythology, Hercules is famous for his strength and for his numerous far-ranging adventures. The Romans adapted the Gr ...

and the Nemean lion. Sculpted carvings continue in the inside of the church.Ars Romanica
website dedicated to Romanesque art in Emilia-Romagna, established by L’Associazione Culturale Rabisch, with the Fondazione Casa Lyda Borelli. Citing *Tesori e segreti delle cattedrali romaniche di Modena e Parma, Parma 2007 *Y. Kojima, Storia di una cattedrale: il duomo di San Donnino a Fidenza: il cantiere medievale, le trasformazioni, i restauri, Pisa 2006. *I.Cogato, Pellegrini alla chiesa di San Donnino: il duomo di Fidenza, Fidenza 1998 *R. Tassi, Il duomo di Fidenza, Milano 1974. File:Duomo di fidenza, sculture a sx del portale c.le.JPG, Lower register of bas reliefs on the west front: Domninus as chamberlain crowns Maximian; Maximian told of Domninus' conversion File:Duomo di fidenza, sculture del portale c.le, architrave con storie di san donnino.JPG, Central portal architrave: on the left, troops muster to execute Domninus; on the right, his decapitation, and angels transporting his head to Fidenza File:Duomo di fidenza, sculture a dx del portale c.le, san donnino salva una gravida dal crollo di un ponte.JPG, Bas reliefs on the west front: Saint Domninus saves a woman from a collapsed bridge File:Duomo di fidenza, interno, cripta, arca di san donnino.JPG, Crypt with the ark containing the relics of San Donnino

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fidenza Cathedral Roman Catholic cathedrals in Italy Cathedrals in Emilia-Romagna 12th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Italy Romanesque architecture in Fidenza Churches in the province of Parma Roman Catholic churches in Emilia-Romagna