Alessandria Cathedral, the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Mark, fronts onto the Piazza del Duomo. In 1175 Pope Alexander III created a diocese centered on Alessandria, and a Saint Peter cathedral was built as the bishop's seat. It was demolished and rebuilt from 1288 to 1297 because it was too small. Napoleon Bonaparte ordered it demolished in 1803 for military tactical reasons.
The 13th-century Dominican church of St Mark was rebuilt from 1807 to 1810 as the new Neoclassical cathedral, which opened in December 1810 and took the names of both saints. A major restoration from 1875 to 1879 ended with its consecration in 1879. A fire badly damaged the interior in 1925, and it was extensively refurbished through 1929.
Inside are a wooden crucifix from the late fifteenth century and an altarpiece by Callisto Piazza.
Comments