Pavia’s Pride

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In the center of Pavia lies…the Duomo!

Yes, Pavia has its own.

Not a Duomo that can match the size and beauty of Milan’s, but one that fits the small scale of Pavia.

Built on the site of two pre-existing cathedrals, Saint Stephen and Santa Maria Maria del Popolo, Pavia’s cathedral was established in 1488 with the idea of offering a new place of worship to the city. Named after Saint Stephen, construction was initiated by Cristoforo Rocchi and later, Giovanni Antonio Amadeo, but most notably, Leonardi Da Vinci’s advice was also solicited on the project.

Knowing that there were many churches in Pavia, it was the one located in Cathedral Square that I most wanted to see. As I approached the square and spied the dome of the duomo, I must admit, it was a bit disappointing. When one hears the word duomo, one expects great things, like you would see in Milan. The facade, however, has largely remained incomplete with the terracotta surface still untouched by the marble in which it was supposed to be covered. Realizing that it was built over several centuries (resulting in a number of different influences) made me even more anxious to see what was inside.

Before entering, I spotted the remains next to the cathedral, the remains of the Civic Tower (Torre Civica), built in 1330 and enlarged in 1583. After standing proudly beside the cathedral for so many hundreds of years, the tower collapsed on March 17, 1989. To the left of the duomo, the remains of the two original churches can be seen in a fenced area.

Entering the structure, we found a much larger-than-expected cathedral consisting of a design of a Greek cross, topped with a dome designed by Carlo Maciachini. It is most interesting to note that this dome, held up by uniquely styled pillars, is the third largest in size in Italy.

At first glance, the far-reaching church’s marble interior appears to be quite plain, especially in the dim natural light. It is when you begin moving around the structure’s interior that you begin to notice the immense detail and treasures that lie tucked into each unique chapel that line the church’s perimeter and discover how light and airy the cathedral actually feels. Though it is tempting to head to the center of the church and examine the immense dome, and then the illuminated presbytery, take a deep breath and give yourself the time this grand structure deserves.

The main marble altar, with its eighteenth century top, was brought from the church of San Pietro in Ciel d’Oro. It draws you in with its intricately carved statues. The beautiful pulpit must be inspected thoroughly with its lifelike figures supporting the structure. It is truly amazing!

Making your way around to each of the chapels, there is much to discover in each. In St. Agnes’s chapel, there is a nineteenth century altarpiece representing a young version of the saint, lifting over her head, her symbol, the lamb. Another altarpiece, this one with the Virgin Mary, can be found in the aptly named, Virgin’s Chapel. Painted in Rome by Federico Faruffini, it depicts the Virgin with the city of Pavia at her feet. Beside the altar, there are statues of her parents Gioacchina and Anna as well as the remains of the bishop of Pavia, Damian.

In St. Peter’s Chapel, take note of the two symmetrical stones which show the saint’s coat of arms and his portrait and the cock on the left of the altarpiece which refers to St. Peter’s treason.

On the altar of St. Alessandro Sauli’s chapel, you can spy a stone urn, that holds the saint’s relics inside as well as plaster flying angels on clouds. The Chapel of the Rosary has a most interesting painting on canvas by Bernardino Gatti called Soiaro, created in 1531. Representing the Virgin of Rosary, there are stories about the Mysteries; fourteen of which must be read counterclockwise and the fifteen with the Coronation of the Virgin on the crowning tablet.

In the chapel of St. John the Baptist, a painting of the saint in the desert is flanked by statues of his parents, Elisabetta and Zaccaria. Under the altar is the body of St. Invenzio.

There are many other chapels to inspect including the Chapel of the Virgin of Caravaggio, the Chapel of Intercession, Sfondrati’s Chapel, the Crucifix’s Chapel, St. Crispino’s Chapel, St. Riccardo Pampuri’s Chapel, Trinity Chapel, St. Barnaba’s Chapel, St. Siro’s Chapel, the Chapel of the Sacred Heart and the Chapel of the Holy Family.

As you make your way around the cathedral, you will notice there are many notable figures and many past bishops, buried within and marked with engraved marble slabs. The most important person to be buried within the cathedral is St. Siro (in St. Siro’s Chapel). St. Siro is known to have been the first bishop of Pavia during the first century. According to legend, it was St. Siro who was the boy with the five loaves who appears in the Gospels. It is said that he followed St. Peter to Rome and was sent out to preach in the major cities of northern Italy.

The other most important item that should not be missed is the seventeenth century reliquary which holds the Holy Thorns which came from Christ’s crown. On Whit Sunday, an ancient mechanism allows the descent of the precious relics over a golden cloud to descend and go back up the following day.

Now that’s something I would like to see!

Exiting the cathedral and looking out onto the square, I thought of my first impression of Pavia’s duomo when I arrived. Turning back and taking another look, I realized something…

First impressions can be so deceiving.

Pavia’s duomo measures up in its own way!

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Pavia Duomo

Note: Check out the Regisole (“Sun King”) monument in Cathedral Square outside the Duomo. Originally erected in Ravenna, it was moved to Pavia in the Middle Ages and stands for Pavia’s deep connection with imperial Rome.

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