Duomo di San Martino in Lucca Italy

The grandest building in the town of Lucca must be the Duomo di San Martino or Cathedral of St. Martin. To be precise, it's actually the grandest example of the Pisan-Lucchese Romanesque school of architecture.

This style is an extremely rare and localised style that's employed on a number of Lucca's churches and of which the Duomo is the finest illustration. The facade in particular is wonderfully intricate. Designed by Guidetto da Como, who drew inspiration from Pisa's cathedral.

It comprises three tiers of arcaded loggias set with green-and-white marble banding, which surmount the portico and its trinity of carved gaping arches. The rightmost arch (as you enter) is markedly smaller than the other two; this is due to the facade's proximity to the campanile, whose foundations were here before those of the Duomo's.

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History of Duomo di San Martino

Construction on the cathedral itself began in 1060 under the guidance of Anselmo da Baggio, who later became Pope Alexander II. Renovations to the building followed, largely between the 12th and 14th centuries and it was here that the church inherited many of its detailed embellishments. Most of these splendid stoneworked enhancements can be found in the portico at the front of the building. The most fascinating are the medieval stonework reliefs depicting episodes from the life of St. Martin - a life which, amongst other deeds, saw him raise the dead and cure lepers with kisses. The left portal is bedecked with panels of the Adoration of the Magi and the Deposition, the latter of which is believed to be by Nicola Pisano. The pillar adjoining the campanile is engraved with a 12th-century labyrinth, an ancient religious symbol which graces the entrances of many medieval churches and dates back to the Stone Age.

Inside the Cathedral

There's plenty to see inside this fabulous attraction in Tuscany. The impressive interior design was largely undertaken Matteo Civitali, the most famous Luccan sculptor of the Early Renaissance. He created the pulpit, pavement and the holy water stoups. The sacristy, which can be entered at a small fee, contains a small selection of architectural relics. These include an altarpiece of the Madonna and Child Enthroned with Saints by Domenico Ghirlandaio and a lunette of the Deposition by one of Filippo Lippi's students.

The Tomb of Ilaria del Carretto Guinigi

There is a small admission fee for this tomb by Jacopo della Quercia. The beautiful Ilaria died in 1405 while giving birth to her second child at the age of 26. She was the second wife of Paolo Guinigi, one of Lucca's most wealthy businessmen of the time. Guigini certainly spared no expense when commissioning her tomb, which takes the form of a sarcophagus surmounted by the recumbent effigy of the deceased. The sides are decorated with lines of putti (cherubs), while a dog, the symbol of fidelity, lies at Ilaria's feet.

Volto Santo in Lucca Cathedral

The tomb isn't the Duomo's most famous artefact, however. That honour goes to the Volto Santo (Sacred Countenance), a wooden statue of a crucified Christ said to have been begun by Nicodemus. Legend has it, he was the man who helped Jesus off of the Cross. It's only resided in Lucca since 782, but has made both the city and church popular pilgrimage sites since the Middle Ages.