Alatri Cathedral

Last updated
19th-century cathedral exterior San Paolo Alatri 3.jpg
19th-century cathedral exterior

Alatri Cathedral, otherwise the Basilica of Saint Paul (Italian : Duomo di Alatri; Basilica concattedrale di San Paolo apostolo), is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Alatri, Lazio, Italy, dedicated to Saint Paul. It was formerly the cathedral of the Diocese of Alatri. Since 30 September 1986 it has been a co-cathedral of the Diocese of Anagni-Alatri. Pope Pius XII declared it a basilica minor on 10 September 1950. [1]

Contents

History

The cathedral was built on what was once the centre of the acropolis of Alatri over the remains of an ancient shrine of the Hernici and of a temple dedicated to Saturn. References to a cathedral go back to the first half of the 11th century: a cathedral chapter is documented here in 930. Under Pope Innocent II (11301143), probably in 1132, the relics of the martyred saint Pope Sixtus I were translated here, and in honour of this the cathedral was refurbished: the main altar was completed in 1156. Further works took place through the 13th century, when in honour of the visit of Pope Honorius III the screen and the ambo, both by the Cosmati, were added, of which some traces still remain in the cathedral today.

During the 16th century the internal walls were painted with frescoes of episodes from the translation of the relics of Saint Sixtus, now hidden by the modernising works of the 17th and 18th centuries which produced the cathedral as it appears today. The present façade and campanile by Jacopo Subleyras were added between 1790 and 1808, and the cornice and the tympanum in 1884. Finally, in 1932 the Chapel of St. Sixtus was built to house the relics of Saint Sixtus, in commemoration of the 800th anniversary of their translation to Alatri.

During his visit to the diocese in 1950, Pope Pius XII granted the cathedral the status of basilica minor.

Description

Interior detail Cathedral Alatri interior.jpg
Interior detail

The façade, in stone and opus latericium , is from the end of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th. The interior has a Latin cross ground plan, with three aisles separated by pilasters and a raised transept.

As well as the relics of Sixtus I, the cathedral also keeps those of the Roman Saint Alexander from the Catacombs of Callixtus, translated to Alatri in 1640, and the Ostia incarnata, from the Eucharistic miracle of Alatri of 1228. [2] The cathedral's works of art include a copy of Guido Reni's Crucifixion ; the face of Saint Sixtus in chased and repoussé silverwork (1584); and the Madonna del suffragio, a sculpted wooden group of figures executed in 1639.

In a chapel are the remains of Blessed Maria Raffaella Cimatti, transferred here on 27 March 2010 from the church of St. Benedict. [3]

Notes

41°43′30″N13°20′39″E / 41.72500°N 13.34417°E / 41.72500; 13.34417

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quirinal Hill</span> One of the seven hills of Rome, Italy

The Quirinal Hill is one of the Seven Hills of Rome, at the north-east of the city center. It is the location of the official residence of the Italian head of state, who resides in the Quirinal Palace; by metonymy "the Quirinal" has come to stand for the Italian president. The Quirinal Palace has an extension of 1.2 million square feet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Peter's Basilica</span> Church in Vatican City

The Papal Basilica of Saint Peter in the Vatican, or simply Saint Peter's Basilica, is a church built in the Renaissance style located in Vatican City, the papal enclave that is within the city of Rome, Italy. It was initially planned in the 15th century by Pope Nicholas V and then Pope Julius II to replace the aging Old St. Peter's Basilica, which was built in the fourth century by Roman emperor Constantine the Great. Construction of the present basilica began on 18 April 1506 and was completed on 18 November 1626.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran</span> Roman Catholic basilica, a landmark of Rome, Italy

The Archbasilica Cathedral of the Most Holy Savior and of Saints John the Baptist and John the Evangelist in the Lateran is the Catholic cathedral church of the Diocese of Rome in the city of Rome, and serves as the seat of the bishop of Rome, the pope. The archbasilica lies outside of Vatican City proper, which is located approximately 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) to the northwest. Nevertheless, as properties of the Holy See, the archbasilica and its adjoining edifices enjoy an extraterritorial status from Italy, pursuant to the terms of the Lateran Treaty of 1929. Dedicated to the Christ, John the Baptist and John the Evangelist, the place name, Laterano (Lateran) comes from an ancient Roman family (gens), whose palace (domus) grounds occupied the site; the adjacent Lateran Palace was the primary residence of the pope until the Middle Ages.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Santa Maria Maggiore</span> Catholic basilica and landmark in Rome

The Basilica of Saint Mary Major, or church of Santa Maria Maggiore, is a Major papal basilica as well as one of the Seven Pilgrim Churches of Rome and the largest Catholic Marian church in Rome, Italy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Santa Maria sopra Minerva</span> 14th-century Dominican church in Rome

Santa Maria sopra Minerva is one of the major churches of the Order of Preachers in Rome, Italy. The church's name derives from the fact that the first Christian church structure on the site was built directly over the ruins or foundations of a temple dedicated to the Egyptian goddess Isis, which had been erroneously ascribed to the Greco-Roman goddess Minerva.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lateran Palace</span> Ancient palace of the Roman Empire and the main papal residence in Rome

The Lateran Palace, formally the Apostolic Palace of the Lateran, is an ancient palace of the Roman Empire and later the main papal residence in southeast Rome.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Carlo al Corso</span> Roman Catholic basilica, a landmark of Rome, Italy

Sant'Ambrogio e Carlo al Corso is a basilica church in Rome, Italy, facing onto the central part of the Via del Corso. The apse of the church faces across the street, the Mausoleum of Augustus on Via di Ripetta.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Petronio, Bologna</span> Minor basilica

The Basilica of San Petronio is a minor basilica and church of the Archdiocese of Bologna located in Bologna, Emilia Romagna, northern Italy. It dominates Piazza Maggiore. The basilica is dedicated to the patron saint of the city, Saint Petronius, who was the bishop of Bologna in the fifth century. Construction began in 1390 and its main facade has remained unfinished since. The building was transferred from the city to the diocese in 1929; the basilica was finally consecrated in 1954. It has been the seat of the relics of Bologna's patron saint only since 2000; until then they were preserved in the Santo Stefano church of Bologna.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sant'Andrea delle Fratte</span> Roman Catholic basilica, a landmark of Rome, Italy

Sant'Andrea delle Fratte is a 17th-century basilica church in Rome, Italy, dedicated to St. Andrew. The Cardinal Priest of the Titulus S. Andreae Apostoli de Hortis is Ennio Antonelli.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dedication of the Basilica of Saint Mary Major</span> Feast day in the General Roman Calendar of the Catholic Church

The Dedication of the Basilica of St Mary Major is a feast day in the General Roman Calendar of the Catholic Church, optionally celebrated annually on 5 August with the rank of memorial.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Basilica of Saint Nicholas of Tolentino</span> Church in Tolentino, Marche, Italy

The Basilica of Saint Nicholas of Tolentino is a Roman Catholic church and minor basilica that is part of the Augustinian monastery in the hill-town of Tolentino, province of Macerata, Marche, central Italy. The church is a former cathedral of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tolentino, suppressed in 1586.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sarzana Cathedral</span>

Sarzana Cathedral in Sarzana, Liguria, Italy, is a co-cathedral of the Diocese of La Spezia-Sarzana-Brugnato. It is dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. The building is a mixture of the Romanesque and Gothic styles, reflecting the length of the period of its construction, from the early 13th to the late 15th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amalfi Cathedral</span> Cathedral in Italy

Amalfi Cathedral is a medieval Roman Catholic cathedral in the Piazza del Duomo, Amalfi, Italy. It is dedicated to the Apostle Saint Andrew whose relics are kept here. Formerly the archiepiscopal seat of the Diocese of Amalfi, it has been since 1986 that of the Diocese of Amalfi-Cava de' Tirreni.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Santi Apostoli, Rome</span> Roman Catholic basilica, a landmark of Rome, Italy


Santi Dodici Apostoli, commonly known simply as Santi Apostoli, is a 6th-century Roman Catholic parish and titular church and minor basilica in Rome, Italy, dedicated originally to St. James and St. Philip, whose remains are kept here, and later to all Apostles. Today, the basilica is under the care of the Conventual Franciscans, whose headquarters in Rome is in the adjacent building. It is the Station church for Friday, the first week of Lent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Basilica of San Fedele, Como</span>

The Basilica of San Fedele in Como is located in the city center. The present Romanesque church dates from 1120 and is dedicated to the Fidelis of Como.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Comacchio Cathedral</span> Church in Comacchio, Italy

Comacchio Cathedral, also the Basilica of San Cassiano, is a Baroque Roman Catholic cathedral and minor basilica dedicated to Saint Cassian of Imola in the city of Comacchio, in the province of Ferrara, Emilia-Romagna, Italy. Formerly the seat of the bishops of Comacchio, it has been since 1986 a co-cathedral in the Archdiocese of Ferrara-Comacchio.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palestrina Cathedral</span> Church building in Palestrina, Italy

Palestrina Cathedral is a Roman Catholic cathedral located in Palestrina, in the region of Lazio, Italy. It is the episcopal seat of the Suburbicarian Diocese of Palestrina, and dedicated to Saint Agapitus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sarsina Cathedral</span>

Sarsina Cathedral is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Sarsina, a municipality in the province of Forlì-Cesena, region of Emilia-Romagna, Italy, dedicated to the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary. Formerly the seat of the Bishops of Sarsina, since 1986 it has been a co-cathedral of the Diocese of Cesena-Sarsina.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Montalto Cathedral</span>

Montalto Cathedral, otherwise the Basilica of Santa Maria Assunta e San Vito, is the principal Roman Catholic church of the town of Montalto delle Marche, province of Ascoli Piceno in the region of Le Marche, Italy. It is dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. The church was formerly, from 1586, the episcopal seat of the Diocese of Montalto. When the diocese was subsumed into the present Diocese of San Benedetto del Tronto–Ripatransone–Montalto in 1986, Montalto Cathedral became a co-cathedral in the new diocese. It was created a basilica minor by Pope Paul VI in 1965.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fano Cathedral</span> Cathedral in Marche, Italy

Fano Cathedral is the principal church of Fano, Marche, Italy. Originally the seat of the bishop of Fano, since 1986 it has been the episcopal seat of the Diocese of Fano-Fossombrone-Cagli-Pergola. In January 1953 Pope Pius XII elevated it to the rank of a basilica minor.