Description of the attraction
The Cathedral of San Lorenzo, dedicated to Saint Lawrence, is the main Roman Catholic church of Grosseto. Its construction began at the end of the 13th century by the Siena-based architect Sozzo di Rustikini on the site of another temple, Santa Maria Assunta. The church was not completed until the 15th century due to the incessant clashes between Grosseto and Siena.
The façade of San Lorenzo is made of white and red marble in the Romanesque style, however, this is not the original appearance of the church, but the result of a number of reconstructions carried out in the 16th century and in 1816-1855, when the church acquired features of the Renaissance and Baroque styles. Fortunately, the building has partially preserved the decorative elements of the original structure, including the symbols of the evangelists. The façade is facing east and has three portals. A loggia with arches and an interfloor cornice is visible at the top. The central part of the facade, crowned with a tympanum, is notable for a large rosette window and Gothic sculptures. In the 16th century, two small lanterns and two small obelisks on the tympanum were installed at the top.
The south side of the church, facing Piazza Dante, is distinguished by two Gothic windows. The decorations for the side portal, windows and the statue of St. Lawrence are the work of the workshop of Agostino di Giovanni. The upper part of the portal with a bas-relief depicting the Virgin Mary in lunette and two statues was made in 1897 by the sculptor Leopoldo Maccari. And in 1983, the artist Arnaldo Mazzanti painted the upper ribbon cornice with frescoes.
Inside the temple is made in the form of a Latin cross with a transept and an apse. The central nave and side chapels are separated from each other by cruciform pilasters. Among the main attractions of San Lorenzo are the striking font from 1470-74, decorated with exquisite carvings, and the painting by Matteo di Giovanni "Madonna delle Grazie" from 1470.
The bell tower of the church to the left of it was built in 1402 and restored at the beginning of the 20th century. And to the right of the Cathedral you can see a Roman column with Corinthian capitals, on which announcements were hung in the Middle Ages.
