Cattedrale di San Cetteo

Pescara's Cathedral of San Cetteo was built between 1933 and 1938 and became the city's cathedral in 1949. Its Romanesque-Abruzzese façade, Pantocrator mosaic and interior works linked to Gabriele D'Annunzio give the modern church a distinct place in the city's history.

Why it matters

The cathedral was built on the site of an earlier seventeenth-century church dedicated to San Cetteo. D'Annunzio supported the new project and donated a painting by Guercino, San Francesco in adorazione del crocifisso. The church also contains the tomb of his mother, Luisa De Benedictis, making it a memorial to the poet as well as the city's principal church.

What to notice

The façade follows the Romanesque manner of Abruzzo, with three arched portals and a rose window. A mosaic of Christ Pantocrator fills the lunette above the central door. Inside, marble columns divide three naves beneath a coffered ceiling. The chapel of San Cetteo contains a silver bust: the original by Arrigo Minerbi was stolen in 1951 and replaced by a version made by Luciano Primavera. The funerary monument of Luisa De Benedictis, designed by Minerbi, stands to the right of the main altar. The cathedral's Mascioni organ dates to 1937.

Context and history

The church replaced the earlier San Cetteo building as Pescara grew into a modern city. Construction began in 1933 and was completed in 1938. Pescara became a bishop's seat in 1949, when the church acquired cathedral status. The façade was rebuilt after wartime damage, and the bell tower was restored in 2018.