Description of the attraction
The Caorle Cathedral, named after San Stefano, is one of the main attractions of the resort town. It was built in the first half of the 11th century in the Roman-Byzantine style. The modest facade of the cathedral is decorated with bas-reliefs depicting saints, and inside you can see works of the Venetian school of art, including the "Last Supper" by Gregorio Lazzarini. Also worth noting are fragments of 17th century frescoes in the central apse and the Pala d'Oro gold altar donated to the church by Queen Caterina Cornaro. The altar consists of six panels, which depict scenes from the Bible, the Archangel Gabriel with the Virgin Mary, the prophets and Christ. A crucifix from the 15th century hangs over the modern throne. The cathedral itself consists of a central nave and two side chapels, separated from each other by rows of columns, on which semicircular arches rest.
The highlight of the cathedral is its bell tower, also built in the 11th century. It rises to the sky to a height of 48 meters and is a typical example of Romanesque architecture. A unique feature of the bell tower is its cone-shaped spire, almost the only one in the world.
In 1975, at the initiative of Patriarch Albino Luciani (the future Pope John Paul I), a small liturgical museum was opened in the Cathedral of San Stefano, in which church robes, altar canvases, vessels of local bishops, etc. are exhibited. An invaluable museum relic is an old silver cross and an iconostasis of the 12-13th centuries, consisting of six icons of the apostles. There is also a reliquary with the skull of St. Stephen, the patron saint of Caorle, and a reliquary with a piece of earth, on which, according to legend, a few drops of blood fell from the body of the crucified Christ.
