Duomo di Montalcino (Cattedrale del Santissimo Salvatore)

The Santissimo Salvatore in Montalcino is a neoclassical church built over the town’s earlier Romanesque pieve. Its six-column Ionic portico and pale interior reflect the major reconstruction by Agostino Fantastici between 1817 and 1832.

Why it matters

The church became a cathedral in 1462, when Pope Pius II established the Diocese of Montalcino. Although the diocese was later absorbed into the Archdiocese of Siena-Colle di Val d’Elsa-Montalcino, the church remains an important religious landmark in the town.

What to notice

The façade’s six Ionic columns support a pediment inscribed Non est in alio aliquo salus. Inside, the white-and-gold three-nave arrangement includes paintings by Francesco Vanni and Francesco Nasini, as well as alabaster fragments from the earlier church. A contemporary installation by Jannis Kounellis occupies the stone well on the Poggio outside.

Context and history

The Romanesque pieve on this site is documented from around the year 1000. After the church became a cathedral in 1462, it was rebuilt in neoclassical style in the nineteenth century. The present building also incorporates an eighteenth-century bell tower made partly with stones from the demolished pieve of San Pietro ad Asso.