The Duomo at Orvieto

This is one of the three best known duomos in central Italy (along with the duomos in Florence and Siena)--how did a mid-sized hill town get such a magnificent church? There are a number of theories about that--one is that this was the summer town that popes in the 13th to 15th century spent time in. So they attracted the best of the best artisans from the aforementioned Siena and Florence to build this magnificent structure. Another theory is that in the 13th century a miracle took place here, and that eventually precipitated the building of a memorable church.

There were two things that struck me about the church immeidately. The first is that we saw it in the late afternoon sun, and it was almost a golden color. The church appears to be built on the highest spot in town, so that when the sun has dissapeared from every where else, the light of the sun is still aglow on the church. The second, and for me the most stunning thing is that the whole front of the church is done in mosaics. The religious pictures are well rendered, but what I loved about it was the geometric designs that twisted up the marble columns. Remarkable.

There are four intricately carved marble pilasters that will astound you with both the craftsmanship and composition, with four bronze statues hovering over them that are well made--but the scope and beauty of the mosaics are what staid with me. It took most of the last half of the 14th century to complete these mosaics, starting around 1350 and mostly ending around 1390, and even then the capstone Coronation at the very top gable had yet to finish. The first Restoration started about 100 years later in 1484. They strike me as very Byzantine, and are the start of a path from that era to the Renaissance. Even if you are not much of a cathedral person, this one is well worth seeking out.