02 April, 2009

Duomo of Orvieto, Italy-Skywatch Today

The Duomo of Orvieto took some 300 years to build (begun in 1290) and is one of Italy's greatest cathedrals. The Gothic façade of the Orvieto Cathedral is one of the great masterpieces of the Late Middle Ages. The three-gable design is attributed to Maitani, who had clearly undergone some influence by the design scheme for the façade in Tuscan Gothic style of the Siena Cathedral by Giovanni Pisano (1287-1297) and the plan for façade of the Florence Cathedral by Arnolfo di Cambio (1294-1302).

The building was constructed under the orders of Pope Urban IV to commemorate and provide a suitable home for the Corporal of Bolsena, a miracle which is said to have occurred in 1263 in the nearby town of Bolsena, when a traveling priest who had doubts about the truth of transubstantiation found that his Host was bleeding so much that it stained the altar cloth. The cloth is now stored in the Chapel of the Corporal inside the cathedral.

Please click on the photographs to see more detail.

The most exciting and eye-catching part is its golden frontage, which is decorated by large bas-reliefs and statues with the symbols (Angel, Ox, Lion, Eagle) of the Evangelists created by Maitani and collaborators (between 1325 and 1330) standing on the cornice above the sculptured panels on the piers. The Lion

The Eagle

Be sure to check out all my e-friends from around the around the world at Skywatch Friday and, if you would like to join in and post your own photos, or just want to look at other sky pictures from all over the world, you can visit their site by clicking on the Skywatch tag on the right side of my blog.


I hope you enjoyed this installment from my recent trip to Italy. The day I visited Orvieto the sky was brilliant and oh so blue and the cathedral, as I have reported about in a previous post, sparkled like a jewel atop the hill.



55 comments:

Guy D said...

Incredibly beautiful cathedral, great photos.

Have a great weekend!
Guy
Regina In Pictures

Esther Garvi said...

Don't we just love a deep blue sky!!!

Rune Eide said...

This is much more than Sky Watch - this is marvellous architecture beautifully reported. A pleasure to see.

Brad Myers said...

That is an awesome building, they do not build them like that anymore.

Photo Cache said...

Oh I feel like I'm on a tour of the cathedral, lovely lovely architecture. Is it time to go in now?

Enjoy the day.

Marie said...

Beautiful cathedral.

Janie said...

What a fantastic building, especially in the enlarged photos. No wonder it took 300 years to build with all that detail and fine art.

Pearl Maple said...

Wow, fantastic photos for sky watch friday, really exciting when people take us on tour with them. Thanks for sharing with us all.

Arija said...

Thanks for the details of the facade. Nice shots.

Louise said...

Wow,WOW! What an incredible cathedral! Wonderful photos. Thanks SO much for sharing!

earthtoholly.com said...

We're not on the train this week but we've both got fluffy cloudy skies. But you've got beautiful buildings, too! Very nice! I also love the soft colors in the facade.

Christina said...

Fabulous!!! I enjoy these photos!

Dewdrop said...

What an absolutely incredible structure! Amazing, 300 years! I can't imagine how breathtaking it must be in person!

Deborah Godin said...

Wonderful jewel-like shots - that facade is like an intricate mosaic set against bright blue enamel

Rune A Karlsen (Bildebloggen) said...

Very nice,beautiful photos! Good weekend

VALKYRIEN said...

What a beautiful cathedral! And of course the sky!

Tarolino said...

A wonderfully richly decorated cathedral. Your photos do it well justice. Must be lovely being surrounded by so much beauty.

PS. Yes it was a water slide in one of my photos.

Carver said...

The cathedral is so beautiful. Great details in the shots and a lovely sky as a backdrop.

EG CameraGirl said...

300 years! What a celebration it must have been when it was finished. It's a gorgeous building, that's for sure.

Michele said...

Oh wow... I really enjoyed the architectural structures on the buildings... very beautiful photos!!

Catherine said...

That's a gem ! All the facade is remarkable. What amazed me the most are colored paintings on the facade. I don't remember having seen something similar, though I've visisted many cathedrales in France and Italy.
The decorated frontdoor is done with so much refinement.
You see, our attention is attracted by the Cathedrale in spite of the Sky. Its deep blue color enhances the beauty of the building though.

Quiet Paths said...

Fantastic detail. I really like the lion. What a trip that must have been.

Susan at Stony River said...

Amazing, and absolutely beautiful. I love history and really enjoyed this post -- thank you!

ms426d said...

Beautiful cathedral backed by a breathtaking sky. Have a good week.

Barb said...

I like the way you've included that blue Italian sky as a backdrop to the intricate architecture. Thanks once again for the tour.

Martha Z said...

I love beautiful buildings, thank you for taking us with you.

April said...

Lovely images! Beautiful cathedral and gorgeous blue sky!

BirdingMaine said...

Breath-taking photos! That is one grand cathedral.

PJ said...

It looks like you had a magnificent tour, these photos are gorgeous. You must have had a wonderful time.

Indrani said...

The structures in the foreground are amazing, all these are so beautiful,Erin, Thank you for sharing them.

DeniseinVA said...

What an amazing cathedral. Your photos show it's great beauty. They are absolutely wonderful.

Unknown said...

GOrgeous sights for the eyes

Anonymous said...

That's a very pretty looking cathedral you've captured :)

Anonymous said...

How beautiful! And that sky is perfect for such a shot!

Gaelyn said...

That is some amazing architecture and detail set against a deep blue sky. Thanks for sharing more of your trip Erin.

Anonymous said...

Still enjoying the tour. What a beautiful building and thanks for the history.

Ebie said...

What a beauty and architecture. Thanks for the virtual tour.

Leedra said...

Beautiful building, thanks for sharing.

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MedaM said...

The Cathedral and its façade really look impressive! Your photos are great and provide us with so many beautiful and interesting details especially when the photos are enlarged. As for the sky, it really is brilliant!

Gattina said...

It took a long time to built it, but the result is nice ! Beautiful shots !

Nova said...

Amazing... definitely one perfect shot!!!

Happy Friday!
SWF here:

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chrome3d said...

All the angels were singing there too! Glorious stuff.

Lara said...

wonderful pictures! a true poetry in images!

Müge Tekil said...

This cathedral is really a masterpiece of Italian architecture. Thank you for sharing your perfect photos! The cathedral seems indeed like a jewel under the fantastic blue sky! Have a nice weekend! Ciao!

Unknown said...

That is an awesome building. Nice shots.

Baruch said...

300 years to build?! Wow, how impressive must this cathedral be so see for real. Thanks for sharing Erin!

Clara said...

I'm totally blown away by the beauty of this cathedral. The enlarged pictures show the amazing mosaics so well. The details are just incredible. I'm not surprised that it took 300 years to build. It's truly a work of art.

Small City Scenes said...

What a great Cathedral and of course that brilliant blue of the sky. those two just go together. MB

Unknown said...

Exquisite architecture ... and even better because of its history. Interesting flying bull!

Linda said...

I don't think I've ever heard of this cathedral before. Wow-how beautiful. I'll have to put this on my list of must sees.

Girl Tornado said...

So awe-inspiring. I absolutely adore stone buildings such as this, so rich in history. Beautiful photos for SkyWatch, thanks for sharing!

airplane5312 said...

Great shots of the Duomo of Orvieto.

dianasfaria.com said...

what an excellent subject for skywatch. Thanks for sharing.

Cape Cod Rambling Rose said...

Truly breathtaking! Those gargoyles are fantastic! Such gorgeous photos, Erin! Thank you for sharing them!

Anonymous said...

My skywatch photo is on my Brookville Daily Photo blog.

I like your architectural photo.