Duomo

Duomo Review

One end of the Piazza del Popolo is dominated by this 12th-century Romanesque-Gothic masterpeice, built over the site of a Roman temple. The simple facade is enlivened by a finely carved rose window. Look up at that window as you step inside and you'll notice its peculiarity: each "petal" of the rose has a cherub's face in the stained glass. Also take a close look at the capitals of the double columns with pilasters: perched between the acanthus leaves are charming medieval sculptures of saints—Peter with his keys, George and the dragon, and so on. You can see the rich brown tones of the wooden choir near the altar, but unless you have binoculars or request special permission in advance, you can't get close enough to see all the exquisite detail in this Renaissance masterpiece of woodworking (1521-30). The severe, solid mass of the Duomo is mirrored by the Palazzo dei Priori (1595-97) across the way.