The cathedral in Fidenza has been on my list of places to visit for some time. A nearby work appointment gave me the opportunity to visit this Romanesque Cathedral in the small city of Fidenza, near Parma.
The Cathedral dates from 1117, but has been much altered over the centuries. It is famous mostly for the façade by the Romanesque architect and some mason Benedetto Antèlami.
The façade is a mix of bible stories, a comic strip showing the life of Saint Donnino, the patron saint of the Cathedral, as well as animals both real and imaginary from the medieval Bestiary. I liked the warlike "Three Kings", a change from the sugary Christmas card characterisation. Saint Donnino, a beheaded martyr performing miracles whilst resting with his head in his hands, is curious.
These carvings are not just decorative. They were a didactic tool to teach the stories from the bible and the life of the saints, to mostly illiterate population. Other carvings from the Bestiary, had a precise significance and were a visual language, concerning good and evil, understood by the people of the time.
The inside is less interesting, with a crypt smaller than most Romanesque Cathedrals.
I was able to use a tripod and for the interior shots which was good because it was really dark inside, and it meant I could use a shift lens for the general view shots.
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| Duomo di Fidenza PR |
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Duomo di Fidenza PR
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Duomo di Fidenza PR
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Duomo di Fidenza PR
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The Miracles of Saint Donnino. Duomo di Fidenza PR
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Duomo di Fidenza PR
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Duomo di Fidenza PR
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Duomo di Fidenza PR
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Duomo di Fidenza PR
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Duomo di Fidenza PR
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Duomo di Fidenza PR
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Duomo di Fidenza PR
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Duomo di Fidenza PR
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Duomo di Fidenza PR
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Duomo di Fidenza PR
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Duomo di Fidenza PR
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