CATHEDRAL, Exterior

Hi, my name’s Rick, and I’m your personal guide. Along with MyWoWo, I’d like to welcome you to one of the Wonders of the World: Trento Cathedral.

The Romanesque Trento Cathedral, dedicated to San Vigilio, was built on the site of an earlier chapel dedicated to the saint, a former bishop and patron saint of the city. The church was built outside the city walls, because it was also used as a burial place; it is the resting place of Saint Vigilius, as well as of three martyrs, Saint Sisinnius, Saint Marturius and Saint Alexander.

Despite its smoothly balanced overall appearance, Trento Cathedral is actually the result of a complex construction process that took place over several centuries. Begun in the first half of the 11th century, it was rebuilt at the beginning of the 13th century on the orders of Bishop Federico Wanga, on a design by Adamo d’Arogno. After d’Arogno’s death, the work was continued by other master builders, without making any changes to the original project guidelines. The intricate construction history of the Cathedral is evident, for example, on the beautiful Romanesque portal: featuring both Gothic and Renaissance elements, it was rebuilt at the beginning of the 16th century using fragments from earlier centuries....