The Santa Maria Assunta Co-Cathedral
The initiative to build the church of Santa Maria Assunta is due to the vows expressed by the local community to Our Lady to intercede in order to put an end to the terrible plague epidemic raging in Pontremoli in the first half of the seventeenth century.
In June 1622 the General Council of the city made a first vow, which was renewed in 1630, when it was decided to build a cathedral in honour of the Blessed Virgin “as sumptuous as possible and with a holding capacity as large as possible” .
Even today, every year on July 2nd solemn celebrations are held with the renewal of the gift of wax on the part of the Mayor of the city and a large procession takes place through the old city centre. The building of the cathedral started in 1636 and lasted fifty years. A lot of work to finish it off was carried out through time which lasted until the end of the 19th century when, in 1881, the façade was completed.
The interior has a Latin plan and is Baroque with an apse and central nave covered with valuable stucco works from the second half of the eighteenth century.
On the vault there are two frescoes by Francesco Natali depicting the “Glory of Santa Rosa from Lima” and the “Glory of San Geminiano”, patron Saints of Pontremoli.
In the niche that opens in the centre of the apse you can see a valuable wooden statue of the Madonna and Child, which goes back to the 13th century already present in the church of “Santa Maria di Piazza” which was demolished to make way for the magnificent cathedral.
It was in front of this image, renamed “Our Lady of the People”, that the vows were made and, for the occasion, the wooden statue depicting Our Lady on the throne, was covered with new clothes in the shape of Our Lady of Loreto, giving her the appearance of a standing statue. The Cathedral was the cathedral of the Diocese of Pontremoli between 1787 and 1987 when it became part of the new diocese of Massa Carrara – Pontremoli of which it is co-cathedral.
Where is the Cathedral of Pontremoli
The Cathedral is located in the old city centre of Pontremoli. Coming from Via Cairoli, turn towards Piazza della Repubblica, go past the famous Caffè degli Svizzeri and a little further on the right you will find the Cathedral.
Nearby you will find
Borgo di Pontremoli, Borgo di Cervara, Borgo di Guinadi, Cascata Farfarà, Lago Verde, Stretti di Giaredo, ingresso della Via Francigena in Toscana (Prima -Seconda e Terza Tappa della Lunigiana), Passo del Cirone, Foresta del Brattello, La Serra di Mignegno, Le Piagnare, Lago Scagliolo, Cascata Piscio di Pracchiola, Pontremoli Route – Ciclovia dei Castelli, Villa Pavesi Negri-Baldini, Palazzo Pavesi – Ruschi Noceti, Villa Dosi Delfini, Palazzo Dosi Magnavacca, Ponte della Colombara – Pracchiola, Ponte di Groppodalosio, Museo delle Statue Stele Lunigianesi, Castello del Piagnaro di Pontremoli, Chiesa della Santissima Annunziata.
