Duomo
One of Italy's loveliest medieval churches, the Duomo was built in 1076 and consecrated in 1085 to house the relics of Saint Matthew the Evangelist. You enter the church through the Sala San Lazzaro, which is believed to have been the Main Hall of the Scuola Medica Salernitana (Salerno Medical School). A 17th-century staircase leads to the 11th-century Romanesque portal known as Porta dei Leoni, with its finely carved architrave; it leads to the church's elegant atrium. This is surrounded by a portico decorated with stone and tufa inlay and is dominated by a splendid Romanesque bell tower (you'll get a better view of the bell tower from Via Roberto Il Giscardo, to the right of the Duomo). From here you can admire the facade of the Duomo, with its beautifully carved central portal, closed by two bronze doors, which were cast in Constantinople in 1099. In spite of serious damage caused by the 1688 earthquake and of 18th-century over-restoration, the Duomo's interior still holds an amazing quantity of impressive artwork, starting with the two magnificent ambones, or pulpits, in the central nave. The smaller is from the 12th century, while the larger dates from the 1400s and is composed of 12 red-and-gray granite columns blossoming with birds, figures, and vegetation. On the ambone's facade, note the remarkable mosaic showing a sinner with a snake biting him in the breast, and an eagle digging his talons into the unfortunate sinner's head. The monumental candleholder in front of the ambone is also impressive. Adjacent to the ambones is the choir, whose sides and floor are embedded with mosaics from the 12th century. The Cappella delle Crociate (Chapel of the Crusades), in the right apse, is where the Crusaders had their weapons blessed before sailing for the Holy Land. Fine 13th-century mosaics and later frescoes cover the walls and ceiling. Conserved under the altar are the remains of Pope Gregorio VII, who died in exile in Salerno in 1085.
One of Italy's loveliest medieval churches, the Duomo was built in 1076 and consecrated in 1085 to house the relics of Saint Matthew the Evangelist. You enter the church through the Sala San Lazzaro, which is believed to have been the Main Hall of the Scuola Medica Salernitana (Salerno Medical School). A 17th-century staircase leads to the 11th-century Romanesque portal known as Porta dei Leoni, with its finely carved architrave; it leads to the church's elegant atrium. This is surrounded by a portico decorated with stone and tufa inlay and is dominated by a splendid Romanesque bell tower (you'll get a better view of the bell tower from Via Roberto Il Giscardo, to the right of the Duomo). From here you can admire the facade of the Duomo, with its beautifully carved central portal, closed by two bronze doors, which were cast in Constantinople in 1099. In spite of serious damage caused by the 1688 earthquake and of 18th-century over-restoration, the Duomo's interior still holds an amazing quantity of impressive artwork, starting with the two magnificent ambones, or pulpits, in the central nave. The smaller is from the 12th century, while the larger dates from the 1400s and is composed of 12 red-and-gray granite columns blossoming with birds, figures, and vegetation. On the ambone's facade, note the remarkable mosaic showing a sinner with a snake biting him in the breast, and an eagle digging his talons into the unfortunate sinner's head. The monumental candleholder in front of the ambone is also impressive. Adjacent to the ambones is the choir, whose sides and floor are embedded with mosaics from the 12th century. The Cappella delle Crociate (Chapel of the Crusades), in the right apse, is where the Crusaders had their weapons blessed before sailing for the Holy Land. Fine 13th-century mosaics and later frescoes cover the walls and ceiling. Conserved under the altar are the remains of Pope Gregorio VII, who died in exile in Salerno in 1085.
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