Cathedral of St Peter the Apostle: Treviso's Duomo

Architecture of the Facade and Portico

The Cathedral of St Peter the Apostle (Cattedrale di San Pietro Apostolo), the primary cathedral of Treviso, stands prominently in Piazza del Duomo. Its entrance is defined by an austere neoclassical pronaos completed in 1836, designed by architects Francesco Bomben and Gaspare Petrovich. This monumental temple front features six massive Ionic columns reached by a wide stone staircase.

Flanking the staircase are two 12th-century stylophore lions sculpted from red Verona marble. These Romanesque guardians originally supported the porch (protiro) of the earlier medieval cathedral that occupied the site before later reconstructions.

The Seven Copper Domes

A defining element of the cathedral's silhouette is its series of seven copper-clad domes topped with lanterns. Five domes line the central nave, while two smaller domes sit above the lateral apse chapels. This multi-domed roof configuration was introduced during the neoclassical rebuilding led by Giordano Riccati and Giannantonio Selva following the demolition of the medieval nave in 1759.

Although built in the 18th century, six of the seven domes remained concealed from the city skyline for generations. They were enclosed inside traditional timber-and-tile roof structures and were only revealed when restoration campaigns in the 1930s stripped away the coverings, displaying the green copper domes to the public.

The Romanesque Crypt and Renaissance Treasures

Beneath the cathedral's presbytery rests an extensive Romanesque crypt dating to the 11th and 12th centuries. Supported by a dense forest of 68 slender columns with sculpted stone capitals, the low-vaulted chamber is one of the few surviving elements of the medieval basilica built under Bishop Rotario.

In the late 15th and early 16th centuries, sculptors and architects Pietro, Tullio, and Antonio Lombardo altered the presbytery and added Renaissance chapels. Among these additions is the 1520 Malchiostro Chapel (Cappella del Malchiostro), which houses Titian's altarpiece, the Annunciation, alongside wall and dome frescoes painted by Il Pordenone.

Historical Evolution and "Il Piccolo Vaticano"

The site of the cathedral has functioned as a civic and religious hub since antiquity. Excavations have revealed remains from the 5th and 6th centuries, including Roman thermal baths, mosaic pavements, and an early Christian baptistery. Over the centuries, the complex grew into an ecclesiastical center anchored at the western end of Via Calmaggiore, the Roman cardo that links the church to Piazza dei Signori.

Together with the adjacent 12th-century Baptistery of San Giovanni, the Bishop's Palace (Vescovado), and the Canoniche, the cathedral forms a close-knit religious quarter locally known as "Il Piccolo Vaticano" (The Little Vatican). The church remains the active seat of the Bishop of Treviso and an operational parish church.

Exterior Curiosities and the Bell Tower

The exterior masonry displays unique remnants of Treviso's past. Embedded directly into the cathedral's outer brick wall facing Via Calmaggiore is an ancient Roman marble bas-relief depicting a dancing bacchante.

Beside the church stands an adjoining brick bell tower that remains an unfinished stump. According to local lore, Venetian authorities abruptly ordered construction to halt so the campanile would not rival or exceed the height of St Mark's Campanile in Venice.