South of Italy is the city of Salerno and here his religious heart is the Salerno Cathedral, the main attraction of the city. Its construction began in 1076 on a previous church that was erected on the ruins of a Roman temple. When the works were finished it was consecrated to Pope Gregory VII. Over the centuries, many modifications were made to it and thus it went through the Baroque and Rococo styles, for example, but this appearance that we see today belongs to the last and recent restoration of the 30s.
The bell tower is from the mid-56th century and is full of arcades and windows. It stands 28 meters tall and is in the Arab-Norman style but it does not lack Byzantine details on the bronze doors brought from Constantinople and Romanesque details on the portal. The entrance has XNUMX columns. Inside there is a main nave and two lateral naves. There are two pulpits decorated with mosaics, a Gothic statue of the Virgin and Child and the tombs of kings, archbishops and popes. The crypt is said to contain the remains of Saint Matthew and is a basilica-like crypt with many marble decorations.
The basilica opens at 8:30 am and closes at 6:45 pm. The guided tour begins at 9:30 am and runs until 6pm and on holidays it begins at 1pm and ends at 6pm.
Photo: via Photoeweb
Photo 2: via Visit Naples Italy