Cattedrale di San Lorenzo (Saint Lawrence's Cathedral), Perugia (must see)

Duomo di Perugia (Perugia Cathedral), also known as the Cattedrale Metropolitana di San Lorenzo, is a Roman Catholic church and the most prominent religious site in Perugia.

The construction started in 1345 and was completed in 1490. However, the cathedral wasn't consecrated until 1587. The external decoration in white and pink marble lozenges was never completed; a trial section of it is still seen on the main façade, enhanced by a Baroque-style portal designed by Pietro Carattoli in 1729.

Unlike most cathedrals, the one of Perugia has its flank towards the city's main square. Here you can see the statue of Pope Julius III by Vincenzo Danti (1555), regarded as a hero in Perugia for having restored the local magistrate, previously suppressed by Paul III.

The massive tower was built between 1606 and 1612. The 68-foot hall of the church contains three naves of equal height. In the right nave is the Sacrament Chapel, designed by Alessi (1576), with the altarpiece of the Pentecost by Cesare Nebbia (1563). The next bay leads to the Baptistery Chapel, with the Renaissance perspective view in marble by Pietro di Paolo di Andrea da Como (1477). In front of it is the venerated image of Madonna delle Grazie, by Giannicola di Paolo, who was the follower of Perugino. The right nave ends with the Chapel of St. Bernardino, enclosed by a 15th-century railing. Its altar houses the most important artwork of the church, a Deposition from the Cross by Federico Barocci (1567–1569).

The sacristy was entirely frescoed by Gian Antonio Pandolfi in the 1570s. The cloister houses several architectonic and sculptural fragments, including a head attributed to Giovanni Pisano and a Renaissance bust of the Redeemer.

The reliquary of the Holy Ring, considered one of the masterpieces of the Renaissance goldsmith's art, is kept in the chapel of San Giuseppe, for which Perugino had painted his famous Marriage of the Virgin (1501-1504), now in the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Caen. Replacing it is the work by Gian Battista Wicar of 1825.