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The Duomo di Orvieto is a large fourteenth century Roman Catholic cathedral. The building was constructed under the orders of Pope Nicholas IV to commemorate and provide a suitable home for the Corporal of Bolsena, a miracle which is said to have occurred in 1264 in the nearby town of Bolsena. The cloth is now stored in the Chapel of the Corporal inside the cathedral. The flagstone of the cathedral was laid in 1290 by Pope Nicholas IV, and construction was entrusted to Fra Bevignate di Perugia using a design by Arnolfo di Cambio. Construction continued slowly until in 1309 the Sienese architect Lorenzo Maitani was commissioned to work on the church and solve several issues concerning the load-bearing capabilities of the building. He substantially changed the design and construction of the building, creating the current façade and much of the interior before his death in 1330 shortly before the completion of the duomo. The most exciting and eye-catching part of the cathedral’s exterior is its golden frontage, which is decorated by large bas-reliefs and statues of the Evangelists created by Maitani. Central to the mosaics is the large rose window built by the artist Orcagna between 1354 and 1380. The cathedral’s interior has deliberately been left uncluttered and spacious, with alabaster windows keeping the interior cool during the fierce Italian summer. The roof was decorated in the 1320s by Pietro di Lello and Vanuzzo di Mastro Pierno. Near the left entrance is the baptisimal font, created in 1390 by Luca di Giovanni and expanded sixteen years later by Sano di Matteo. It is overlooked by a fresco of the Madonna with child painted by Gentile di Fabriano in 1425. Behind the altar are a series of damaged frescoes by local artists Preto Ilario and Pietro di Puccino.

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