Cathedral
of San Romolo

Cathedral
of San Romolo

The Cathedral of San Romolo, centre of the religious life of Fiesole and its diocese, dates back to 1028 when Bishop Jacopo il Bavaro decided made the decision to relocate the cathedral within the city walls, facilitating accessibility and attendance. Indeed, the episcopal seat and the first cathedral of Fiesole were situated at the present-day Badia Fiesolana, in San Domenico, far from Fiesole.

The cathedral’s current appearance is due to a major restoration between 1878 and 1883 by architect Michelangelo Maiorfi. Unmistakable is the profile of the tall bell tower, clearly visible even from afar, nestled between the Fiesole hills of San Francesco and Sant’Apollinare and dating back to a 13th-century (1213) enlargement; an 18th-century intervention later gave it its present appearance.

The interior of the church, with a three-nave layout, is Romanesque in style. A crypt supports the raised chancel, and the roof is trussed. The apse, enlarged in the 16th century by Bishop Francesco Cattani da Diacceto, was frescoed by Nicodemo Ferrucci with the “Stories of St. Romulus.” On the high altar, the late Gothic triptych by Bicci di Lorenzo, depicting the Madonna and Child with Saints, is not to be missed.

Other works housed in the Cathedral of particular note are Giovanni della Robbia’s St. Romulus, the Madonna by the Master of Bigallo, frescoes by Cosimo Rosselli, and works by Andrea Ferrucci. The relics of the patron saint, Saint Romulus, were also transferred to the building.