In 1556, work began on Norcia's new Co-Cathedral of Santa Maria Argentea beside the Castellina fortress, built to replace a 10th-to-11th-century Romanesque cathedral cleared to build the citadel. Repeatedly struck by seismic events—including an 18th-century quake that brought down its Gothic tower and prompted a Neoclassical three-nave rebuilding—the cathedral largely collapsed during the earthquake of 30 October 2016. Official rebuilding and restoration projects were initiated in 2024.
What to see
The gabled stone façade features a Neoclassical portal framed by composite columns and a triangular pediment, flanked by statue niches and topped by a circular rose window. Along the left exterior wall stands a fine Gothic pointed-arch portal saved from the earlier medieval parish church. Inside, the Neoclassical nave contained an altarpiece by Cristoforo Roncalli depicting the Virgin with Saints Spes, Santolo, Fiorenzo, and Eutizio, a 16th-century fresco by Francesco Sparapane showing the Virgin and Child with Saints Benedict and Scholastica, and a painting of Saint Vincent Ferrer by Giuseppe Paladini. Notable among its furnishings were the 1494 wooden crucifixes by Giovanni Teutonico: carved from single hollowed blocks of timber with hemp cords laid beneath plaster to model realistic veins, one cross revealed traces of incense inside the skull meant to release ceremonial smoke. The counter-façade loft held an organ built between 1743 and 1744 by Adriano Fedeli inside an ornate carved wooden case.
Visiting
Following the 2016 destruction and the launch of reconstruction in 2024, surviving artifacts and the 18th-century tower's four bells were temporarily relocated. The first bell (cast by Nicola Marinelli in 1838) and second bell (cast by De Poli in 1999) were reinstalled in 2017 at the Santa Maria delle Grazie Community Center. The third bell, created in 1704 by Carlo Antonio Manzetti, was placed on display in Piazza San Benedetto, while the oldest bell from 1568 is exhibited in Spoleto.
Our editors' tip
When viewing the building from the outside, examine the pointed Gothic portal along the left flank: it is a rare surviving architectural fragment moved here directly from the original medieval cathedral prior to its demolition.