The Bishop’s Sacred Seat: History of Como Cathedral

Can stone, marble, and mortar truly preserve the living faith of four centuries, or do we merely walk through empty monuments of a forgotten past? When the first spade of earth was turned in 1396 to construct a new sanctuary over the Romanesque ruins of Santa Maria Maggiore, the builders of Como were not merely constructing a civic landmark. They were embarking on a 374-year crusade of sacred engineering that would outlast plagues, dynastic wars, and dramatic shifts in European art. In The Bishop's Sacred Seat: History of Como Cathedral, historian Bernard de Clare delivers an exhaustive, fact-checked exploration of Italy's last great Gothic cathedral—a masterwork constructed over nearly four centuries that seamlessly fuses Gothic naves, Renaissance apses, and a soaring Baroque dome into a single, unified prayer in stone. Designed specifically for the reader who demands rigorous historical accuracy without sacrificing spiritual depth, this volume uncovers the lived reality of the artisans, bishops, and citizens who built the Duomo di Como. Discover the structural genius of master builder Lorenzo degli Spazzi, who laid the massive foundations while worship continued uninterrupted in the ancient basilica inside. Step up to the intricate western portal to analyze the groundbreaking Renaissance sculptures of Tommaso Rodari, who dared to flank the sacred entrance with statues of the pagan writers Pliny the Elder and Pliny the Younger—an audacious theological statement on humanism and Divine Revelation. Uncover the deep symbolism of the mysterious Porta della Rana, where local legend, flood-protection lore, and early Christian baptismal allegories intersect in marble. De Clare takes you deep into the interior chapels, analyzing the masterworks of Bernardino Luini and Gaudenzio Ferrari, the 12th-century Romanesque lions supporting holy fonts, and the massive Flemish tapestries that framed the divine liturgy for generations. Finally, witness the engineering climax of 1740, as Filippo Juvarra's breathtaking 75-meter dome was raised to crown the cathedral with light. Rich in primary source details and theological insight, this book offers a profound walk through six hundred years of sacred history. Will you remain a passive observer of history, or will you step across the threshold and experience the sacred space as the believers of centuries past truly lived it?