At the origin of the Dominican order
An imposing tuff façade with unmistakable travertine and basalt ornaments, houses the treasures of Sammicheli and Arnolfo Di Cambio
The church was founded in 1233-1264, perhaps on the ruins of an Etruscan temple.
Of imposing appearance, a large Dominican convent was originally attached to the church. Little remains of the original construction that developed in three naves for a length of 90 meters as the building was subjected, over the centuries, to various transformations that altered the layout of the complex. The last intervention, in 1934, involved the demolition of a part of the church itself and of the convent to make it the seat of the first women’s academy in Italy.
Today it is therefore possible to admire part of the structure that initially appeared. Externally there remains the majestic tuff facade with travertine and basalt ornaments while, inside, there are two valuable works, one is the Petrucci Chapel built in 1517 by Sammicheli of Verona with the original floor and, the most important, the funeral monument of Cardinal de Braye sculpted in 1282 by Arnolfo di Cambio, an admirable example of fusion between architecture and sculpture, recently restored and restored to its former glory.
The ancient cathedral of the city
The oldest church in Orvieto
An encounter between religions