The Cathedral The origins - It took three centuries to build the cathedral and contrary to what many believe, official documents confirming this, the cathedral is not a celebration of the miracle of Bolsena which took place in 1264. The “Duomo” was not built to hold the precious relic as is popular belief and two Popes have argued against a direct connection between the miracle and construction(Alexander VII and John Paul II) Architecture - The cathedral can not be defined in simple architectural terms. It is generally presented as a “Gothic Cathedral” but after much research by experts it is considered as being of another nature From the beginning - Pope Nicholas IV attended the laying of the foundation stone 13th November 1290. The first constructor we know of was the Benedictine monk Fra Bevignate who constructed the three naves to the cross vault .The cross vault and apse was then completed by Giovanni Uguccione Lorenzo Maitani - In 1305 the architect Lorenzo Maitani strengthened with four flying buttresses the sides of the cross vault and with two the apse, he then supervised work and created and modified the three cusp façade and constructed the roof. The artist’s style can be seen in the apse which is situated on the wings of the eastern buttresses, work was completed on the apse after his death(1330) The ten chapels - On the walls of the lateral aisles ten chapels open with a half cupola dome. The floor of the cathedral is in red marble from Prodo (a town near Orvieto) It was started in 1347 and completed between 1383 and 1388. The Baptisimal font - which is situated at the end of the left lateral aisle under the first arch, was designed and started by Luca di Giovanni in 1390and in 1406 Sano di Matteo from Siena completed the work, addind a monolithic bowl in red marble. Resting on eight lions is the temple canopy. In front of the font, on the left wall, one can see “Maestà” by Gentile da Fabriano (1425) Central nave - The central nave culminates in a stupendous gothic window, 16.30 metres lond and 4.55 metres wide, which was begun by Giovanni Bonino of Assisi(1325) and was finished by Nicola di Nuti in 1334. The window is made up of 48 segments which represent the story of the Virgin, Jesus, images of the Saints, doctors and the Apostoles The apse - The walls of the apse have frescos from the Orvieto school carried out by Ugolino del Prete Ilario and Pietro di Puccio between 1370 and 1380. They were restored in 1491 by Giacomo di Bologna and then by Pinturicchio and Antonio di Viterbo known as Pastura. These frescos, which in part have been destroyed, show in the vault the “glory of the Virgin” and on the walls the “life of the Virgin” The apse is divided from the transept by a magnificent staircase in travertine stone and crowned by a baluster of dark red marble created by Ippolito Scalza, as was the “Pietà”, a group of four expressive figures sculptured from a single block of marble. The Emilio Greco doors - In 1970 the old wooden doors were substituted by the bronze doors created by Emilio Greco. On the central doors, which is divided into six panels, there are the seven works of “Misericordia” click for enlarge Hotel Duomo - Vicolo di Maurizio, 7 - 05018 Orvieto (Tr) - Italia - Telefono 0763 341887