Cattedrale di Santa Maria Annunziata

Camerino's Cathedral of Santa Maria Annunziata is a historic bishop's church rebuilt after the 1799 earthquake and damaged again in the 2016 seismic sequence.

Why it matters

The cathedral records more than a millennium of religious history in Camerino through repeated destruction, rebuilding and changes in architectural style. Its furnishings and structure reflect the city's resilience after successive earthquakes and political upheavals.

What to notice

The facade is flanked by two squat bell towers. The interior designed by Andrea Vici and completed by Clemente Folchi has a single-aisle plan with side chapels. Its historic works include statues by Giuseppe Mazzanti, a thirteenth-century polychrome wooden Crucifix, a fourteenth-century Madonna della Misericordia and seventeenth-century paintings.

Context and history

Camerino's bishopric is documented from 465. A cathedral was built in the twelfth century and rebuilt in Gothic form after the city's sack in the thirteenth century. The earthquake of 1799 destroyed the medieval and Baroque church. Andrea Vici designed its replacement, completed by Clemente Folchi and opened in 1832. Further restoration followed the 1997 earthquake. The 2016 seismic sequence again damaged the cathedral.