In just about every Italian city I travel to, there are many churches to visit and explore. They are a great place to see historical architecture, amazing art and local culture. The beautiful Duomo di Salerno, or the Cathedral of St. Matthew is this city’s pride and joy.
Location
Find the oldest part of Salerno, the Centro Storico and you will undoubtedly bump into the Duomo di Salerno. Right in the centre of this district, its gorgeous tall bell tower is hard to miss. Out front is a grand staircase leading up to the huge doors of the courtyard.
Brief History
The Cathedral of St. Matthew was built in the 11th century. It is home to the tomb of Pope Gregory VII who died in exile while in Salerno in 1084. In the crypt below, are the relics of St. Matthew himself, one of the 12 apostles. The exquisite crypt deserves its own separate post.
Courtyard
Walking up the massive staircase, you enter the courtyard through a set of large wooden doors flanked by two white marble lions. Once inside, the space instantly feels peaceful and quiet. All around the interior walls are ancient roman sarcophagi and various frescoes creating a feeling of history and gentle beauty.
Bell tower
Built in the 12th century, it rises high in one corner of the courtyard. Contained inside are 8 large bells. I can locate my apartment, just by looking for this bell tower when ever I am out and about and headed in the direction of home. 😂 It is that tall!
And its really lovely too. I must stop and take a photograph, every time I pass by, as the sunlight seems to add extra dimension to the lava and stone at different times of the day.
Cathedral
At front and centre is the enormous bronze doors brought from Constantinople in 1099. They contain 54 panels of pictures and crosses. Like the courtyard doors, here lions protect this threshold as well.
Each time I have walked past the Duomo di Salerno, I have yet to see these massive doors actually open. You will most likely be directed through a side entrance. The fee I paid was €7 or about $10 CAD. That included entrance into the cathedral, crypt and one other venue of my choice. Either the Duomo Museum or another church located 2 minutes away.
Walking into the cathedral is serene. Everything is light, white and bright. If you look carefully, you will see evidence of the original cathedral embedded into the walls, such as pillars, columns, original paintings and frescoes etc.
Also original are the intricate and stunning marble pulpits, covered in colourful tile work.
The Apses
Walking towards the front of the cathedral, you will see three apses. Each has an exquisite mosaic tile ceiling. These are so beautiful they really took my breath away.
Take your time, walk through every inch of this beautiful space. I felt so calm here, surrounded by what I would describe as a somewhat plane interior (but not in a bad way). Around the edges are various tombs and paintings, some huge and domineering but all interesting and beautiful in their own right.
I’m of course comparing this to the Bulgarian Orthodox churches I was most recently visiting, that are an absolute chaos and riot of icons, colour, gold, silver and paintings. Those churches don’t seem to have an inch of space that is not decorated to some degree. They are also quite dim inside.
The Duomo di Salerno is like a breath of fresh air. Soaring ceiling, clean white plaster walls, simple yet exquisitely beautiful decoration. My goodness, its no wonder I felt calm and safe inside.
