Duomo di Pavia

Pavia Cathedral is a Renaissance church begun in 1488 and completed in the twentieth century. Its Greek-cross plan and octagonal dome reflect a project shaped by several architects over more than four centuries.

Why it matters

The cathedral is the centrepiece of Piazza del Duomo and the diocesan seat of Pavia. Its dome, 97 metres high with an octagonal drum 34 metres across, is ranked fourth largest in Italy by the official tourism portal. The design involved prominent Renaissance architects, including Cristoforo Rocchi and Giovanni Antonio Amadeo; Leonardo da Vinci is recorded as offering ideas during an early visit to Pavia. The crypt preserves the remains of Saint Sirus, the city’s first bishop and patron.

What to notice

The octagonal dome rises over a central Greek-cross plan with three naves and semicircular chapels. The central nave is twice the width of the aisles and rises about thirty metres, with two tribune galleries. In the crypt, the shrine of Saint Sirus is accompanied by relics including a seventeenth-century silver-and-crystal reliquary associated with the Holy Thorns of Christ’s Crown. The cathedral’s scale contrasts with the medieval towers and broletto around the square.

Context and history

Construction began in 1488. Cristoforo Rocchi and Giovanni Antonio Amadeo were among the designers associated with the project, with Donato Bramante involved in discussions during the 1490s. Records also attribute consulting input to Leonardo, who visited Pavia while construction was in its early stages. The dome was completed at the end of the nineteenth century, and the cathedral as a whole was completed in the 1930s. It remains the diocesan cathedral of Pavia.