Complesso del Duomo di Novara
| Nome | Descrizione |
|---|---|
| Indirizzo | Piazza della Repubblica NOVARA (NO) |
| Apertura |
Together with the Baptistery, the Bishop's Palace and the Cloister, the Cathedral is part of one of the most interesting monumental complexes of the city.
The current structure of the Cathedral dates back to the second half of the 19th Century, and was designed by Alessandro Antonelli in Neoclassical style. One of the oldest and most precious features of the previous Romanesque Cathedral was the mosaic floor of the presbitery. The works of Bernardino Lanino and the Mystical Wedding of Saint Catherine by Gaudenzio Ferrari are among the cathedral's more noteworthy paintings. The Chapel of Saint Siro, beside the sacristy, was built in the 13th century as a private prayer chamber for the bishop, and contains a series of frescoes of Saint Siro's life.
The paleo-Christian building located in front of the Cathedral dates back to the 4th and 5th centuries, and is the town's oldest monument. Within the octagonal baptistery, rectangular and semi-circular chapels alternate, with frescoes featuring scenes from the Apocalypse (11th century) and the Last Judgment (15th century).
The Cathedral's four-sided portico has a doorway leading to the courtyard of the curia. The entrance consists of an eclectic neo-Gothic structure, designed by Ercole Marietti (1825-1906), which also incorporates fragments of the old cathedral.
The internal façade of the bishops’ palace overlooks the courtyard of the curia. The Palatium Novum of the bishop Litifredo, various traces of which still remain, is first mentioned in 1147. Its present-day appearance, with a double portico originally with six arches, reflects subsequent extension works by various bishops between the 14th and 18th century. This includes the construction of a new palatine chapel, dedicated to St. Mary Magdalene, over the chapel of San Siro. (credit: @Novara)
In the time of the bishop Litifredo (1123-1151), a “claustrum” (Closter) was built in this area to accommodate the clerics of the Church of Novara. Three sides of this large courtyard were lined by residences, with the Bishop’s Palace standing on the west side.
Towards the mid-15th century, the canons’ residence was extended with the construction of the portico, in successive stages. An elegant loggia was also built beside the Bishop’s Palace, but was subsequently closed between 1476 and 1486 to build the hall of the capitular library.
The north wing, with masonry featuring reused bricks laid in a herringbone pattern, appears to be the oldest. The composition of the vaults reveals various phases of construction, while the ogival arches give the complex a uniform character.
Traces of the original decoration remain in pictorial fragments and terracotta tiles that once formed the window frames.
Along the walls of the four-sided portico is a collection of Roman monuments, headstones and epigraphs, which was started in 1813 by the canon Carlo Francesco Frasconi and formed the first lapidary museum. The original exhibits, now replaced by copies, are housed in the museums of the cathedral canons’ residence, located within the complex. (credit: @Novara)
The current structure of the Cathedral dates back to the second half of the 19th Century, and was designed by Alessandro Antonelli in Neoclassical style. One of the oldest and most precious features of the previous Romanesque Cathedral was the mosaic floor of the presbitery. The works of Bernardino Lanino and the Mystical Wedding of Saint Catherine by Gaudenzio Ferrari are among the cathedral's more noteworthy paintings. The Chapel of Saint Siro, beside the sacristy, was built in the 13th century as a private prayer chamber for the bishop, and contains a series of frescoes of Saint Siro's life.
The paleo-Christian building located in front of the Cathedral dates back to the 4th and 5th centuries, and is the town's oldest monument. Within the octagonal baptistery, rectangular and semi-circular chapels alternate, with frescoes featuring scenes from the Apocalypse (11th century) and the Last Judgment (15th century).
The Cathedral's four-sided portico has a doorway leading to the courtyard of the curia. The entrance consists of an eclectic neo-Gothic structure, designed by Ercole Marietti (1825-1906), which also incorporates fragments of the old cathedral.
The internal façade of the bishops’ palace overlooks the courtyard of the curia. The Palatium Novum of the bishop Litifredo, various traces of which still remain, is first mentioned in 1147. Its present-day appearance, with a double portico originally with six arches, reflects subsequent extension works by various bishops between the 14th and 18th century. This includes the construction of a new palatine chapel, dedicated to St. Mary Magdalene, over the chapel of San Siro. (credit: @Novara)
In the time of the bishop Litifredo (1123-1151), a “claustrum” (Closter) was built in this area to accommodate the clerics of the Church of Novara. Three sides of this large courtyard were lined by residences, with the Bishop’s Palace standing on the west side.
Towards the mid-15th century, the canons’ residence was extended with the construction of the portico, in successive stages. An elegant loggia was also built beside the Bishop’s Palace, but was subsequently closed between 1476 and 1486 to build the hall of the capitular library.
The north wing, with masonry featuring reused bricks laid in a herringbone pattern, appears to be the oldest. The composition of the vaults reveals various phases of construction, while the ogival arches give the complex a uniform character.
Traces of the original decoration remain in pictorial fragments and terracotta tiles that once formed the window frames.
Along the walls of the four-sided portico is a collection of Roman monuments, headstones and epigraphs, which was started in 1813 by the canon Carlo Francesco Frasconi and formed the first lapidary museum. The original exhibits, now replaced by copies, are housed in the museums of the cathedral canons’ residence, located within the complex. (credit: @Novara)