Cupola di San Gaudenzio - Salita con visita guidata

The dome of San Gaudenzio in Novara is an engineering landmark designed by Alessandro Antonelli and built in brick between 1840 and 1888. Its interior galleries reveal the structure behind the city's best-known silhouette.

Why it matters

Antonelli's dome was an ambitious nineteenth-century experiment in masonry construction. The climb through its double shell makes visible the geometry, changing curvature and brickwork concealed by the exterior, while the summit statue of Christ the Saviour completes the city's landmark.

What to notice

The dome's walls grow thinner as the structure rises, and openings admit light through the double shell. The interior fabric reveals the brickwork and structural elements that support the dome. From the upper levels, the historic centre, surrounding plain and Alps form a panorama that explains the tower's place in Novara's skyline.

Context and history

Alessandro Antonelli designed the dome after earlier plans to complete the basilica stalled. Work proceeded in stages from 1840 to 1888 and drew criticism from engineers who questioned the structure's proportions. The gilded copper statue of Christ the Saviour, by Pietro Zucchi, was raised into place in 1873.