Duomo di Perugia
Duomo di Perugia – The Duomo di Perugia, officially the Cattedrale Metropolitana di San Lorenzo (Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Lawrence), is the principal church of Perugia, Umbria, and the seat of the Archbishop of Perugia-Città della Pieve. Located on the Piazza IV Novembre in the historic center, the cathedral was begun in the 10th century and substantially rebuilt in Gothic style from 1345 onwards, though the main facade facing the piazza remains unfinished to this day, creating a distinctive austere appearance. The lateral facade facing the Fontana Maggiore, completed in the 15th century, features elegant Renaissance decoration. The cathedral houses important works of art including paintings by Federico Barocci, Luca Signorelli, and other masters of the Umbrian school. The cathedral is particularly notable for preserving the supposed wedding ring of the Virgin Mary (Santo Anello), kept in the Cappella di San Giuseppe in a reliquary with fifteen locks, and for its beautiful Cappella del Santo Anello with frescoes and a Madonna delle Grazie attributed to Giannicola di Paolo. The cathedral’s unfinished main facade and its rich treasury of religious relics make it a unique monument in Italian ecclesiastical architecture.
