Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta

Sutri's Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta stands on the site of an earlier Christian church. Enlarged in 908 under Pope Sergius III and consecrated in 1207 by Innocent III, it retains its Romanesque character and a well-preserved Cosmatesque marble floor.

Why it matters

The municipality dates the earlier church to the paleochristian period, records an enlargement in 908 and the consecration of the rebuilt church in 1207 by Pope Innocent III. The pope gave a Byzantine panel of Christ at the consecration; it is now held by Sutri's Museum of Ancient and Sacred Art. The church is one of the co-cathedrals of the Diocese of Civita Castellana.

What to notice

The Cosmatesque floor, with geometric inlay of coloured marble tesserae, is a signature feature of the nave. The Romanesque structure dates to the 1207 consecration, while later campaigns altered the interior. A crypt lies beneath the chancel. Innocent III's Byzantine panel of Christ is preserved in the town's Museum of Ancient and Sacred Art.

Context and history

A paleochristian place of worship stood on the site before the ninth-century enlargement attributed to Sergius III. Innocent III consecrated the rebuilt Romanesque church in 1207 and donated the Byzantine panel, which later entered the town museum. Subsequent remodellings changed the interior while leaving the medieval floor intact. The ancient Diocese of Sutri was later merged into the Diocese of Civita Castellana, and the former cathedral became a co-cathedral.