Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta
lower Church
The lower church was built to resolve the altitude difference between the upper church’s entrance and the eastern road.
The construnction started in may 1589 and probably finshed in august 1590.
The greek cross plan is enriched by the presence of two lateral chapels, of the sacristy and a fourth space that present a second stair that conduct directly to the bell tower. The lower church is entirely projected by Girolamo Rainaldi, the first Cathedral architect.
The lower church embraces the visitor with its majestic semplicity, with its giant cross vault. Behind the altar, a beatiful plaster sculpture by the artist Giorgio Paci made in the late XIX, represent the Deposition.
At both sides, the are the bishop’s burial, placed here only in 1974.
In the lateral chapels there is a permanent nativity scene and a reproduction of the Lourdes grotto.
A little curiosity: the lower church was projected by Sisto V to host the Holy Tomb of Jerusalem, but the great task was never completed.
Listen the audio track for learn more about the story!