Pula Cathedral, Pula

Pula Cathedral, formally the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, stands beside the waterfront at the foot of Pula Castle hill. Built in 1707, the tower incorporates stone taken largely from the Roman Arena. The baptistery building that once stood before the cathedral was demolished in the 19th century, although a Baroque baptismal font survives inside the church.

After entering through the principal doorway, walk straight down the central nave. The rows of stone columns and Renaissance arches divide the interior into three naves and support the exposed roof structure. Continue toward the raised sanctuary at the far end. The principal liturgical furnishings include a marble altar and ambo, while a 4th-century Roman sarcophagus was incorporated into the altar arrangement during the late 19th century. The sanctuary also contains a wooden tabernacle and an altarpiece depicting Saint Thomas the Apostle, attributed to the Venetian school.

Before stepping fully into the sanctuary, examine the surviving section of early Christian mosaic pavement near the front of the altar area. Its inscription names Damianus and Laurentia, a married couple who paid for approximately 200 Roman feet of mosaic decoration. The side aisles contain several later devotional works. Follow them toward the lateral altars to find a marble altar with a wooden statue of the Virgin Mary and another altar bearing a statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

A freestanding Baroque bell tower was built beside the baptistery in 1707. In 1712, under the supervision of Bishop Bottari, extensive reconstruction work was carried out on the basilica’s façade. The cathedral was damaged during World War II but was repaired by 1947.