Cathedral of Aosta (Cattedrale di Aosta)

The Cathedral of Aosta (Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta) stands at the heart of the historic city on Piazza Giovanni XXIII, occupying the site of an Early Christian church that was rebuilt repeatedly from the 4th century onward. The current exterior is largely Neoclassical, the result of an 18th-century remodelling that replaced the earlier Romanesque façade, but the interior preserves extraordinary evidence of earlier periods. The nave floors are inlaid with 12th-century mosaic pavements — among the oldest and most vivid of their kind in northern Italy — depicting mythological scenes, the months of the year, and the rivers of Eden. The choir retains elaborately carved Gothic wooden stalls dating from the early 16th century, and the apse walls are painted with Romanesque frescoes uncovered during 20th-century restorations. Two Roman columns incorporated into the structure mark its ancient foundations. The attached Cathedral Museum (Museo del Tesoro della Cattedrale), entered from the left of the nave, holds a remarkable collection of medieval goldsmithery, ivory carvings, illuminated manuscripts, and Byzantine-style enamelled crosses acquired over the cathedral's long history. The diptych of Emperor Honorius (406 AD), a carved ivory panel displayed in the museum, is one of the most important Late Antique objects in Italy. Visits to the church are free; the museum charges a small admission. The building is a 5-minute walk from the Aosta train station.