Bobbio Cathedral, Co-cathedral in Bobbio, Italy
Bobbio Cathedral is a co-cathedral in the small town of Bobbio, in the Emilia-Romagna region, built in a Romanesque style with a Latin cross layout and a nave flanked by two side aisles. The building ends to the east in a rectangular apse, and a transept crosses the nave roughly at its midpoint.
The cathedral was built in the mid-15th century on a site that had long held religious importance due to its connection with the nearby monastery founded in the 7th century. Over the following centuries, the building received several additions and changes, though its Romanesque core remained largely intact.
The interior holds works from different periods placed side by side, from medieval carvings to later painted panels, giving the space a layered quality that reflects its long use as a place of worship. The wooden choir stalls in the presbytery are particularly worth a close look.
The cathedral sits in the center of Bobbio and is easy to reach on foot from most parts of the old town. Visiting in the morning or early afternoon is generally a good idea, as religious services later in the day may limit access to parts of the interior.
Beneath the main altar lies a crypt that holds the relics of Saint Columbanus, the Irish monk who founded the monastery of Bobbio in the early 7th century. The crypt is open to visitors and offers a noticeably different atmosphere from the main church above, being smaller and more enclosed.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
