Duomo di Naro, Cathedral in Naro, Italy.
Duomo di Naro is a cathedral in Sicily with a Latin cross layout and central dome supported by fourteen decorated columns. The entrance features a pointed arch, and the interior contains multiple side chapels and extended sections that create an irregular footprint.
Construction began in 1089 under Norman rule following the conquest of Naro by Roger of Hauteville. The building was erected on the site of a former mosque, marking a religious transition in the town.
The church was dedicated to Maria Santissima Assunta dagli Angeli and reconsecrated to the Vergine Annunziata in 1266, on the second Sunday of May, before Cardinal Rodolfo and the archbishops of Palermo and Bari. The Cappella della Madonna della Catena, added in 1565 by Bernardo Lucchesi Palli di Campofranco, once held a statue by Gagini, now kept in the Chiesa Madre.
The church is closed to the public: after the landslide of 4 February 2005 it stands propped up and cannot be entered. Visitors can still see it from outside, at the top of the long staircase that climbs from via Dante to the hilltop. The collapsed vault and the unstable structure mean interior visits are not possible.
The church has been closed for worship since 1867 and was used in 1889 as a cemetery for cholera victims, after which most of its artworks were moved to other churches. A 15th-century fresco of the Assumption with the twelve apostles, once inside, is now kept in the municipal library. The building has been propped up and closed to the public since a landslide struck the town on 4 February 2005.
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