Sulmona Cathedral ( it, Duomo di Sulmona, ''Basilica Cattedrale di San Panfilo'') 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 let ...

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 denominatio ...

Sulmona Sulmona ( nap, label= Abruzzese, Sulmóne; la, Sulmo; grc, Σουλμῶν, Soulmôn) is a city and ''comune'' of the province of L'Aquila in Abruzzo, Italy. It is located in the Valle Peligna, a plain once occupied by a lake that disappeared in ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

, and is the seat of the Bishop of Sulmona-Valva (formerly of the Bishop of Sulmona).

History

Construction of the present building, in Romanesque style, began in 1075, although the site is older - a Roman temple is believed to have stood there - and what is now visible is the result of many more recent layers of architecture applied over centuries. The original dedication was to the

Virgin Mary Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother of ...

, but many changes took place in the 12th century, among them a change of dedication to Saint Pamphilus, the patron saint of Sulmona. The cathedral was badly damaged in the earthquake of 1706, and rebuilt in a Baroque form, some of which can still be seen despite more recent renovations. On 25 September 1818, Pope Pius VII granted the cathedral of S. Pamfilo in Sulmona the honorary title of "

minor basilica In the Catholic Church, a basilica is a designation given by the Pope to a church building. Basilicas are distinguished for ceremonial purposes from other churches. The building need not be a basilica in the architectural sense (a rectangular ...

".''Bulliarii Romani Continuatio'' Tomus 25 (Rome 1853), pp. 118-119, no. DCCCXV.

Notes and references

External links

Sulmona.org: cathedral webpage
Churches in the province of L'Aquila 18th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Italy Roman Catholic churches completed in 1706 12th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Italy Cathedrals in Abruzzo Roman Catholic cathedrals in Italy Sulmona {{Italy-RC-cathedral-stub