Cattedrale dei Santi Pietro e Paolo (Duomo di Sovana)

Sovana's Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul stands at the western end of the village. Its sculpture, masonry and vaulted interior preserve successive phases of medieval church building.

Why it matters

The cathedral recalls Sovana's importance as a bishopric and county centre. Its scale and architectural layers distinguish it within the small settlement, while the town's association with Gregory VII adds another strand of ecclesiastical history.

What to notice

The carved portal and decorated capitals are major features of the exterior and interior. Cruciform piers divide the three aisles, and rib vaults introduce Gothic forms into the older structure. A holy-water font dated 1615 adds a later furnishing. The crypt is associated with the tradition of San Mamiliano, credited with evangelising Sovana.

Context and history

A papal document of Nicholas II attests the cathedral in the eleventh century. Building campaigns extended through the following medieval centuries, producing a combination of Romanesque sculpture and Gothic structural elements. Sovana was also the birthplace of Ildebrando, later Pope Gregory VII. The cathedral's development belongs to the period in which the settlement held a more extensive political and religious role.