Cattedrale di San Matteo

The atrium courtyard of the Salerno cathedral. (Photo courtesy of the Parrocchia si SS. Matteo e Gregoria Magno)
The atrium courtyard of the Salerno cathedral.

The cathedral of Salerno houses ancient Greek columns, Roman sarcofagi, medieval pulpits, and the body of St. Matthew the Evangelist

The crypt of the Salerno cathedral. (Photo courtesy of the Parrocchia si SS. Matteo e Gregoria Magno)
The atrium courtyard of the Salerno cathedral.

Although World War II bombs devastated most of medieval Salerno, the Duomo's lovely 11th-century atrium courtyard was spared. It contains 28 antique columns pilfered from the ancient Greek ruins of Paestum. Behind them are Roman sarcofagi recycled in the Middle Ages as the tombs for local grandees.

The cathedral was founded in 1081 by Hauteville Norman adventurer Robert Guiscard who by then had conquered his way to becoming Duke of Apulia and Calabria (which, at the time, covered pretty much all of southern Italy; the neighboring Dutchy of Naples was confined just the sliver of land around the Bay of Naples itself). Robert was, for good measure, also Duke of Sicily.

An earthquake in 1688 caused most of the cathedral to be rebuilt along baroque lines, though from the older church remain a fabulous pair of inlaid ambones (pulpits) similar to those at Ravello.

Proof that the city of Salerno was once a much bigger deal than it is today: The cathedral crypt, lavishly redeocrated with precious marbles in the 17th century (and restructured in the 1960s), houses the bones of St. Matthew the Evangelist.

Tips & links

Details

Cattedrale di San Matteo
Piazza Alfano I, Salerno
tel. +39-089-231-387 or +39-089-257-6778
Cattedraledisalerno.it

Open for tourists: Mon-Sat 9:30am–6pm, Sun 4–6pm.

Admission:
Free

How long does the cathedral take?

Planning your day: Give it about 20–30 minutes.

Amalfi Coast tours
Useful links & resources

Share this page

Intrepid Travel 25% off

Search ReidsItaly.com

Details
Cattedrale di San Matteo
Piazza Alfano I, Salerno
tel. +39-089-231-387 or +39-089-257-6778
Cattedraledisalerno.it

Open for tourists: Mon-Sat 9:30am–6pm, Sun 4–6pm.

Admission:
Free


Useful links
Train tix

Shortcuts to popular planning sections:

Airfares, Cars, Trains, Tours, Packages, Cruises, Lodging, Itineraries, Info, Packing, Prep, Comm

Follow ReidsItaly
Follow ReidsItaly on Twitter  Join the ReidsItaly fan page  Follow Reids Italy Adventures blog