Duomo di Alessandria

The cathedral of Alessandria, located in the city centre, stands on the place of a Lombard Gothic style building demolished in 1803 to meet the military needs of Napoleon Bonaparte. The chapter, in 1805, obtained from Napoleon in person the 14th century church of San Marco, which required some reconstruction (1807-1810) based on the drawing of the architect Cristoforo Valizzone. This led to a church in neo-Classical style in contrast with the surviving sections, namely the vault of the central nave and the pillars. The double style was eliminated between 1874 and 1879 with the architect Edoardo Arborio Mella (1808-1884) from Vercelli, to reach the current Bramante style architecture with a cupola in the crossing point of the two arms of the transept. The current decoration dates to 1926-1929, entrusted to Luigi Morgari of Turin (1857-1935) while the high altar dates to 1954. The chancel is embellished by five stained glass windows (1954) depicting the Immaculate Virgin, Saint Pius V, Saint Baudolino, Saint Paul of the Cross and the Blessed Gregorio Maria Grassi. The organ (1929), whose facades embellish the four galleries above the chancel completes the décor. Behind the high altar, you can admire the 18th century inlaid wooden choir, on which towers a magnificent painting by Callisto da Lodi (1546) of Saint Peter between Saints Paul and John the Baptist. Outside, the neo-Classical façade features Corinthian columns. It is embellished by paintings representing Saint Peter freed from prison, Saint Peter receiving the keys, Saint Peter walking on the waters of Lake Tiberias towards Jesus, by Luigi Vacca of Turin (1771-1854). In the tympanum, the same Vacca represented the Eternal Father, while five marble statues on the mansard represent the Redeemer and the four Evangelists. On the left side of the façade, a statue surviving from the old cathedral depicts the legendary character of Gagliaudo, who is said to have saved the city of Alessandria (1174) when it was attacked by Barbarossa.