Thiene Cathedral, Cathedral in Thiene, Italy

Thiene Cathedral is a Roman Catholic church whose present building was rebuilt in 1625 and substantially altered in the late 18th century by architect Ottone Calderari. Its nave ceiling carries 15 paintings by Baroque Venetian painters, among them Giulio Carpioni and Giovanni Battista Pittoni. A tall obelisk-like bell tower designed by Sebastiano Serlio stands beside it.

A church of the Assumption existed here before 1166 and was completed by 1314; a document of 27 February 1292 names it as Santa Maria de Tienis. It was demolished as unsafe in the early 17th century, and the present cathedral was built between 1625 and 1630 under archpriest Carlo Rizzi. Ottone Calderari supervised the 1792-1796 remodelling, which added a coffered ceiling; the nave was raised and the facade rebuilt between 1949 and 1954.

The nave ceiling carries 15 paintings by Baroque Venetian artists, among them Giulio Carpioni and Giovanni Battista Pittoni. In the north aisle hangs an Annunciation from the school of Alessandro Maganza, and the main altarpiece was painted in 1590 by Matteo Grazioli. Ancient frescoes of the Madonna delle Grazie were restored in the 1700s.

The cathedral stands in Thiene's historic centre, a short walk from the town core. The bell tower attributed to Sebastiano Serlio and the adjoining Church of the Rosary of 1685 are reached from the same spot, so the three can be seen together on foot.

The bell tower beside the cathedral is attributed to Sebastiano Serlio, the Renaissance architect known for his treatise on architecture. Beyond it stands the Church of the Rosary, built in 1685, whose main altarpiece was painted in 1590 by Matteo Grazioli and whose stucco and painted decoration is by the local artists Ballante (1657-1729) and Valentino Bassi.