Cattedrale di Santa Margherita

Santa Margherita dominates Montefiascone's skyline with the great dome completed by Carlo Fontana in 1674. The former episcopal cathedral is a co-cathedral and minor basilica, dedicated to the town's patroness.

Why it matters

The building expresses the architectural ambition of Montefiascone's historic diocese. Its lower church also preserves the memory of the educator Saint Lucia Filippini and her patron, Cardinal Marco Antonio Barbarigo, whose remains are kept there.

What to notice

The ribbed dome and lantern rise above a body developed through several building campaigns. Michele Sanmicheli is associated with the Renaissance design, with a possible contribution by Antonio da Sangallo the Younger. The later facade presents Ionic columns, a pediment and statues of Saints Flaviano and Margaret. Inside, the dedication is recalled by the image and relics of Margaret of Antioch.

Context and history

After the creation of the medieval see, an existing church was selected as its cathedral. Construction of the present building began in the late fifteenth century. A fire in 1670 prompted the campaign that brought Fontana's dome to completion. Elevation to minor-basilica status followed in 1943; the church's co-cathedral role belongs to its later place within the Diocese of Viterbo.