Teramo - Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta

Teramo was a flourishing city in Roman times. The Visigoths under Alaric I destroyed the city in 410. After the Gothic War in the 6th century, the city became Byzantine. Later it was a Lombard fief and part of the Duchy of Spoleto.

In 1129 the city was conquered by the Normans. In 1140 it passed into the possession of Roger II of Sicily, the first king of Sicily. During the fighting that followed Roger's coronation, Teramo was destroyed by a Norman force under Robert II of Loritello. In 1268 the rule of the House of Hohenstaufen ended and was replaced by the House of Anjou.

After Robert II of Loritello had destroyed the previous church "Santa Maria Aprutensis", the construction of the present church began in 1158. The church was completed in Romanesque style and consecrated in 1176.

In 1331-1335 the building was extensively rebuilt. The northern part was extended. The extension was in Gothic style. The bell tower was built in three stages: the lower part in the 12th-13th century, the middle part in the 14th, and the octagonal lantern in the 15th century. The lantern was designed by Antonio da Lodi.

In winter people can skate in front of the Duomo.