Ventimiglia - Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta

Ventimiglia is the Italian border town to France. It is located at the mouth of the Roia River, which divides the town into two parts. It was a Roman municipium under the name of Albintimilium and was surrounded by a city wall a prosperous town.

Already in 670, the town held the seat of a Bishop. Later it was besieged by the Byzantines and the Goths and suffered from the raids of the Lombards. In the 10th century, it was attacked and looted by the Saracens.

Ventimiglia was ruled by the local counts but lived in constant conflict with the Republic of Genoa. In 1505 it was finally annexed to the Genoese Republic was part of the republic until 1814, when it was taken over by the Kingdom of Sardinia.

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The Cathedral of Ventimiglia was erected between the 11th and 12th century on the ruins of a previous cathedral of the Lombard / Carolingian period. This again had been built on the site of a Roman temple dedicated to Juno.

The Chapter of the Cathedral was confirmed by Pope Lucius III in 1182.

Originally the church had a single nave, but already in the 12th century, it got completely rebuilt with three naves. The (round!) baptistery may be the oldest part of the cathedral. Inside ist the "Museo Diocesano". Seen on the capital are a horse (left) and a giant hare (right). Maybe there is a connection to the two aggressive hares near the portal.