Explore Religious Heritage Across Europe

The Cathedral of Adria, dedicated to Saints Peter and Paul, was built at the beginning of the 19th century from a pre-existing 14th century building. The cathedral houses frescoes, a bas-relief dating back to the 6th century and beautiful cupboards sculpted by Jacopo Piazzetta.

Alatri Cathedral was built in several phases during the Middle Ages, on the ruins of an ancient temple dedicated to Saturn. The present façade and bell tower were added by Jacopo Subleyras between 1790 and 1808, and in 1884 the attic and tympanum were added.

Alba Cathedral was built between 1486 and 1517 and has elements of Romanesque and Gothic style. Of the old church, which already existed in the 11th century, only the bell tower, the three portals, the façade portico and the crypt have been preserved; the other parts, which were unsafe, have been demolished. During the 18th and 19th centuries, the cathedral underwent consolidation restorations and was equipped with new altars and chapels.

The Cathedral of Albano was consecrated in 1721 but is located on the site of an older basilica, dedicated to St. John the Baptist, founded by Constantine I (4th century). Pope Leo III (750-816) built a new cathedral on the site and changed the dedication to Pancras of Rome.

Albenga Cathedral was founded during the reconstruction of the city between the end of the 4th and the beginning of the 5th century, in the centre of the Roman city. It was rebuilt around 1100, on the remains of the old early Christian church, and then in the second half of the 12th century.

The Cathedral of Ales was built in 1708 on a project by the Genoese architect Domenico Spotorno, who also worked on the conversion of the Cathedral of Cagliari in the Baroque style, a church that served as a model for the Cathedral of Ales. In the first half of the twentieth century, the decorations and frescoes of the interior were completed, and recently important restoration work was carried out, which affected the church for about twenty years.

The Cathedral of Alghero dates back to the 16th century when in 1503 Pope Julius II promulgated a bull implementing a profound revision of the Sardinian dioceses, strongly desired by King Ferdinand II. Alghero, elevated to the rank of a city in 1501, did not have a temple large enough to serve as a cathedral at that time, and the bishops of the new diocese did not reside there until the 1530s when construction of the cathedral began. Its long period of construction resulted in a remarkable mixture of styles, although Catalan Gothic can be considered predominant.

The Cathedral of Alife was built by the Norman Count Ranulf II of Alife between 1127 and 1135, incorporating an earlier religious structure, with a north-south orientation. Over the centuries it was rebuilt several times, mainly in 1450 by Bishop Moretta and, above all, following the earthquake of 5 June 1688. After the damage caused by the earthquake of 1805, the façade was rebuilt (1820). The bell tower of the Cathedral suffered some damage in the earthquake of 29 December 2013.

The Cathedral of Altamura was built by Emperor Frederick II (1220-1250) in 1232 and became one of the most venerated sanctuaries in Puglia. In 1248, under pressure from Emperor Frederick, Pope Innocent IV declared Altamura exempt from the jurisdiction of the Bishop of Bari, making it a Palatine Church, one of the four in Puglia. The current orientation of the church is the opposite of the original, although it is not known whether the change dates back to the reign of Robert of Anjou (early 14th century) or to the enlargement carried out in 1521-1547. From the 18th century onwards, the upper parts of the two bell towers and the small gallery separating them were added. Since 1986, the church has been the seat of the Bishop of Altamura-Gravina-Acquaviva delle Fonti.

The Cathedral of Amelia has been qualified as a co-cathedral since 1986 when the Diocese of Amelia was unified with the Diocese of Terni and Narni. The old cathedral of Amelia dates back to the 9th century; it was seriously damaged by a fire or an earthquake in 1240 and rebuilt in Romanesque style. It was subsequently restored due to the severe damage suffered by the troops of Frederick II in the 13th century. A fire almost completely destroyed the building in 1629 and it was rebuilt in Baroque style. The façade was completed in the 19th century.