Exterior of the Duomo

Piazza IV Novembre


The facing in red and white stone of the wall between the Loggia di Braccio and the side entrance to the Duomo seems to have been done in the early 15th century: it is decorated with the arms of King Ladislas of Naples, who was Lord of Perugia in the period 1408-14.   Some of the facing material probably came from the Cappella di San Giovanni Battista, which had stood here in the period 1310-75.

During the revolt of 1540, the wooden Crucifix (15th century) over the side door (by Polidoro di Stefano) became a symbol of the city’s resistance to Pope Paul III.  The leaders of the revolt deposited the keys of the city at the foot of the Cross, and held regular penitential processions to implore Christ (ineffectively, as it turned out) to protect them.

After the failure of the revolt, the Perugians lost their privilege of self-rule until Pope Julius III restored it.  He was therefore particularly popular in the city.  His nephew, Cardinal Fulvio della Corgna, Bishop of Perugia was responsible for two important commissions:

  • The most important was the magnificent statue (1555) of Pope Julius III to the left of the door by Vicenzo Danti.  The inscription records that it was made in thanks for the restoration of the Decemviri (magistrature) that Pope Paul III had abolished.  This was the young Danti's first important commission, and he achieved it brilliantly, casting the whole work as a single piece except for the hood of the cope.  The statue was originally installed close to its current location, but it was moved to safety (according to tradition, to the cellar of a tavern) in 1798 as the occupying papal forces withdrew from Perugia ahead of the advance of the French.  It was subsequently erected in Piazza Danti, and was returned to its current location in 1899.

  • He also commissioned the new side door (1568), which was designed by Galeazzo Alessi and built by Ludovico Scalza.

The red and white facing to the right of the side door was completed in 1449.  The then capomaestro, Pagno di Lapo Portigiani was probably responsible for:

  • the pulpit (1439) near the door, from which San Bernardino preached shortly before his death in 1444; and

  • the relief of the Resurrection of Christ (15th century) in the tympanum of the lower of the two niches to the right.  The statue in the lower niche is the Madonna della Provvidenza (1929), which was commissioned after Mussolini survived an assassination attempt in Bologna on 31st October, 1926. 





The upper niche originally housed a bronze statue (1467) of Pope Paul II by the Florentine Bartolomeo Bellano, but this was melted down in the disturbances after the withdrawal of the French army in 1797.

Piazza Danti

The facade of the Duomo was built in 1451, but never completed.  (Bishop Marcantonio Oddi offered  to finance its construction but the Canons rebuffed him.  He therefore financed the facade (1662-5) of San Filippo Neri).

The Baroque portal (1729) was designed by Pietro Carattoli.




In ca. 1850, Bishop Gioacchino Pecci closed the entrance on the right wall of the Duomo, thereby eliminating what had been a popular short cut for Perugian pedestrians.   The niche that replaced the doorway now houses a gesso relief (15th century) of the Madonna and Child that is attributed to Agostino di Duccio.  In 1855, Bishop Pecci converted a building beyond this entrance to form a baptistery that also opens onto the right aisle. 


The adjoining building is the Cappella del Spirito Santo (1557 - 76), which is described in the page on the interior.   The inscription on the external architrave records that Polidoro Oradini completed it according to the will of his brother, Bishop Giulio Oradini. 

Proceed to the interior of the Duomo.