Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta

Terni’s Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta preserves medieval elements within a church extensively transformed in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Its history also records wartime damage and the addition of modern religious art.

Why it matters

The cathedral is associated with the tomb of Bishop Anastasius. Successive rebuilding brought the earlier religious site into a larger church, retaining fragments of its medieval architecture while changing the scale and character of the interior.

What to notice

The medieval portal attributed to Ocellus Scinda is decorated with fantastic animals. The organ was made by Luca Neri in 1647–48. The high altar of 1762 was executed by Carlo Murena from a design by Luigi Vanvitelli. Modern works include Bruno Ceccobelli’s bronze doors, Paolo Borghi’s liturgical furnishings and Ricardo Cinalli’s painting on the counter-facade.

Context and history

Work on the tribune and apse took place in 1547–1559, followed by rebuilding of the nave from 1565. Completion under Cardinal Rapaccioli in 1653 marked another major phase. Damage during the Second World War led to restoration, while later artistic commissions continued the church’s long history of renewal.