Old Cathedral

Built in the late eleventh century on the ruins of the former basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, it has a rare circular design, consisting of two cylindrical structures of stacked stone. The entrance was opened in 1571, but the current portal was rebuilt in 1708, after the bell tower that stood above it collapsed. The interior has a central room surrounded by an ambulatory and covered by a large hemispherical dome. Roman and early Christian mosaics adorn the area of the transept, while underneath the presbytery the crypt of San Filastrio from the Romanesque period can be accessed. Of particular importance is the gold treasure kept in the chapel on the left of the presbytery, according to Sante Croci. Among the church’s most important works: the tomb of Bishop Berardo Maggi in red marble from Verona; paintings by famous Renaissance painters such as Moretto and Romanino and the Antegnati organ.