Acquapendente Cathedral: A Roman Catholic Cathedral and Co-Cathedral in Italy
Site at a Glance
- Rating
- 4.2
- Popularity
- Very Low
- Country
- Italy
- Primary era
- Medieval
- Eras represented
- Medieval
- Civilizations
- Papal States
- Site type
- Religious
- Remains
- Cathedral
On this page6 sections
History
Acquapendente Cathedral is a Roman Catholic cathedral dedicated to the Holy Sepulchre in Acquapendente, Italy. The Holy Sepulchre is the traditional Christian site of Jesus’ tomb in Jerusalem. The present church began as a Romanesque building in the twelfth century, and its medieval origins lie in the church of a Benedictine monastery, a Catholic monastic community following the Rule of Saint Benedict.
Medieval Origins and Pilgrimage
During the Middle Ages, the church became a popular destination for pilgrims and for people with disabilities who sought miraculous cures. Its dedication connected the institution with the Holy Sepulchre tradition, while its monastic origins shaped its earliest religious role.
Cathedral of Acquapendente
In 1649, the church became the cathedral and episcopal seat of the newly created Diocese of Acquapendente. A diocese is a territorial district governed by a bishop. The new diocese succeeded the suppressed Diocese of Castro del Lazio, and the former cathedral of Castro contributed numerous treasures and furnishings, together with the relics of Saint Bernard of Castro.
After the Diocese of Acquapendente was united with several other dioceses on 27 March 1986, it formed the Diocese of Viterbo, Acquapendente, Bagnoregio, Montefiascone, Tuscania e San Martino al Monte Cimino. This entity was renamed the Diocese of Viterbo in 1991, and Acquapendente Cathedral became its co-cathedral, sharing cathedral status or functions within the diocese. The church has traditionally held the designation of a minor basilica, a Catholic church granted special ecclesiastical status by the pope.
Remains
Crypt
The crypt dates from the second half of the tenth century, making it older than the main church. Its unusual arrangement of pillars divides the space into nine small aisles. The pillars carry elaborately carved zoomorphic capitals, whose decoration represents animals or animal-like forms.
The crypt also contains a blood-stained stone traditionally said to have come from the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. This relic is associated with the cathedral’s dedication.
Cathedral Building and Decoration
The twelfth-century Romanesque church, characterized by massive masonry, rounded arches, and heavy structural forms, was progressively overlaid by later campaigns of beautification, especially after the building became a cathedral. Much of the later decoration and additions use painted terracotta and stucco. The west front is Neoclassical, a style drawing on the forms and proportions of ancient Greek and Roman architecture.
Two bas-reliefs in the cathedral are attributed to Agostino di Duccio, an Italian Renaissance sculptor known for relief sculpture. They depict Tobias and the Angel and The Victory of Saint Michael over the Dragon.
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