It is one of Calabria's most essential Norman constructions and one of the most significant religious buildings. Declared a national "architectural asset"... #tuttitaly
The Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta in Gerace is one of Calabria's main places of worship and represents an essential example of Norman architecture. Its imposing Romanesque facade, characterized by a limestone wall and two semicircular apses, gives the building a fortress-like appearance.
Visitors can admire a sizeable basilica-like space inside the cathedral, with three aisles separated by polychrome marble and granite columns. The main altar, created in the Baroque style by the Palazzotto brothers and artist Amato, is characterized by polychrome marble.
Inside the cathedral, there are also several funerary monuments, such as the sarcophagus of Count Giovanni Battista SS. Caracciolo and the Gothic chapel of the Sacrament of 431. Numerous sacred furnishings are kept in the Byzantine crypt, accessible from the left arm of the transept or directly from Piazza Tribona. Among the works of art present, the relief of the Incredulity of Saint Thomas stands out, created by Gagini in 1547.
The crypt also houses the chapel of the Madonna dell'lttria, which features a barrel vault and marble decorations. Inside is an altar with a 14th-century Virgin with Child statue created by Sienese artist Tino di Camaino.
Next to the chapel of the Madonna dell'lttria is the chapel of San Giuseppe, which houses the Diocesan Museum of the cathedral's treasure. This museum displays numerous objects of artistic and religious value, including relics, sacred vestments, and works of art.
The Diocesan Museum was established in 1996 to preserve and enhance the historical and artistic heritage of the cathedral and the territory of Gerace. Among the exhibited works, visitors can admire the gilded silver Stauroteca, with precious stones and beads dating back to the 14th century but probably created in the 12th century, the chalice of Mons. Diez De Aux from 1726, the silver bust of Saint Veneranda with the monogram of Gregorio Juvarra, and the silver sculpture of the Immaculate Conception from 1772 commissioned by Bishop Scoppa.
Visiting the cathedral of Gerace, with its crypt and chapels, represents a unique experience to immerse oneself in the history and art of this sacred place, which preserves treasures of inestimable value.
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