Alba Cathedral, Romanesque cathedral in Alba, Italy
Alba Cathedral is a Romanesque church featuring terracotta-colored walls and a central rose window that defines the facade. The nineteenth-century renovations added sculptures of the evangelists, and a tall bell tower rises beside the main structure.
A religious building stood on this location from the fifth century, but the current structure was built in the twelfth century following Romanesque design principles. This construction established the basic form that visitors encounter today.
The wooden choir seating from the early 1500s fills the interior with carved Renaissance details that reflect how artisans decorated sacred spaces. These seats remain in use during religious services, connecting visitors to centuries of worship.
The cathedral sits in Piazza del Risorgimento, also called Piazza Duomo, in the heart of Alba and serves as the bishop's seat. The square is easily reached on foot and connects to nearby streets lined with shops and historic buildings.
Excavations in 2007 uncovered an ancient baptismal font and roughly one hundred graves, many containing the remains of children from centuries past. This discovery reveals the site's role as a sacred burial ground long before the Romanesque building was erected.
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