Duomo di Santa Maria Maggiore

The Duomo of Santa Maria Maggiore in Spilimbergo combines a facade pierced by seven rose windows with an extensive cycle of medieval painting. Begun in 1284, the church preserves successive phases of local patronage and artistic work.

Why it matters

The fourteenth-century apse paintings are associated with the workshop tradition of Vitale da Bologna. Old and New Testament narratives place the building within the wider history of Friulian medieval painting, while later furnishings demonstrate the continuation of artistic commissions.

What to notice

Zenone da Campione's portal of 1376 marks the north side of the church. Inside, the painted programme includes the Crucifixion and Coronation of the Virgin. Giovanni Antonio Pilacorte carved the baptismal font of 1492, while il Pordenone painted the organ decoration in 1525. These works belong to different stages of the church's development.

Context and history

The counts of Spilimbergo initiated the building campaign in the late thirteenth century. Covered paintings were recovered during twentieth-century work, and later conservation addressed the damage of the 1976 earthquake. Subsequent restoration has continued the care of the medieval frescoes and their architectural setting.