Tarquinia Cathedral: The Co-Cathedral of Civitavecchia-Tarquinia
Site at a Glance
- Rating
- 4.3
- Popularity
- Very Low
- Country
- Italy
- Primary era
- Modern
- External website
- Open
- Eras represented
- Medieval, Early Modern, Modern
- Civilizations
- Italian, Papal States
- Site type
- Religious
- Remains
- Cathedral
On this page10 sections
History
Tarquinia Cathedral is a church in Tarquinia, Italy, dedicated to Saint Margaret of Antioch and Saint Martin. Built in 1260, it became the cathedral of Corneto, the historical name of Tarquinia, on 5 December 1435. Its surviving Gothic apse and later Neoclassical form reflect the major changes made to the building over several centuries.
Medieval foundation and cathedral status
The church was established in 1260 and later served as the cathedral of Corneto. Its cathedral status was formally established on 5 December 1435. During the fifteenth century, Bishop Bartolomeo Vitelleschi directed an enlargement of the building, extending the church beyond its earlier medieval form.
Fire and rebuilding
A major fire destroyed the cathedral in 1643. The church was rebuilt within a short period, creating the Baroque elements that remain inside, including the high altar of polychrome marble. This reconstruction formed an important stage in the building’s transition from its medieval origins toward its later appearance.
Nineteenth-century restoration and diocesan change
During the nineteenth century, the rebuilt church underwent a Neoclassical restoration and further enlargement. Francesco Dasti designed the interior, while Pietro Magnani designed the facade. The work was completed in 1874 and added nine new altars. Bishop Francesco Gandolfi, who held the episcopal office of Corneto and Civitavecchia, consecrated the church in 1879.
On 30 September 1986, the Diocese of Tarquinia, formerly the Diocese of Corneto, was united with the Diocese of Civitavecchia. Tarquinia Cathedral consequently became the co-cathedral of the Diocese of Civitavecchia-Tarquinia, a cathedral sharing the seat or status of a diocese with another cathedral. It also remained the principal parish church of Saints Margaret and Martin.
Remains
The cathedral is predominantly Neoclassical, with a surviving Gothic apse at its eastern end. Its facade, bell tower, three-aisled interior, polygonal apse, paintings, frescoes, and nineteenth-century organ preserve evidence of the building’s medieval, Baroque, and modern phases.
Facade and bell tower
A staircase leads to the facade, which is flanked on the left by a bell tower. The lower level contains three portals. Above them, the facade ends in a triangular pediment and includes a paired window. Statues of Saint Margaret of Antioch and Saint Martin stand beside the window, identifying the church’s two titular saints.
Nave and apse
The interior is organized into three aisles divided by round arches. Barrel vaults, continuous semicircular vaults, cover the aisles and include lunettes, curved openings or recessed areas that intersect a vault. The main nave terminates in a deep polygonal apse that is considerably narrower than the nave. The apse retains the old Baroque high altar, made of polychrome marble, while its Gothic structure survives from the cathedral’s earlier phase.
Apse frescoes
The walls and vault of the apse retain sixteenth-century frescoes by Antonio del Massaro, known as il Pastura. Their subjects include a Coronation of the Virgin, several saints, and Sibyls, female prophetic figures from classical antiquity incorporated into Christian art as symbolic foreseers of sacred events.
Seventeenth-century paintings
The final chapel on the right side of the nave contains two late seventeenth-century paintings by Giacinto Brandi. The works are The Death of Saint Joseph and The Death of the Virgin, both signed by the Italian Baroque painter.
Pipe organ
A pipe organ built by Angelo and Nicola Morettini in 1879 occupies the center of the choir loft against the inner face of the facade, beneath the paired window. Its action is entirely mechanical. The instrument is enclosed in a wooden case whose front is set within a Serlian opening, a three-part opening with a central arch and narrower side openings.
The organ has a window console with two 58-note keyboards. The lower keyboard controls the Grand Organ and the upper one the Open Positive. The instrument also has an extended chromatic lowest octave and a straight 17-note pedalboard permanently coupled to the first keyboard. Stops are controlled by knobs arranged in two columns to the right of the keyboards, with the Grand Organ stops above, the Open Positive stops in the lower left, and the Pedal stops in the lower right.
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