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Co-cathedral of St Mary of the Annunciation in Priverno: the relics of St Thomas
The Co-cathedral of Santa Maria Annunziata in Priverno dominates Piazza Giovanni XXIII from the top of a grand staircase with over thirty steps. Before entering, the three-arched Romanesque porch catches the eye: the columns rest on various stylophorous animals (horse, bear, lion, leopard, lioness, and ox), forming one of the best-preserved Romanesque bestiaries in the Lazio region. According to local tradition, the horse is sometimes associated with the myth of the Volscian queen Camilla. The building was consecrated by Pope Lucius III in 1183, following a fire that destroyed the previous structure in 1159.
Inside: Art and relics
The three-aisled interior is the result of Baroque remodelling and restoration between 1776 and 1780, which all but erased the original Romanesque layout. The side chapels house the most significant surviving works: a 17th-century wooden crucifix attributed to Giuseppe Baccari, and a 15th-century Deposition, carried in procession on Good Friday. The Chapel of the Relics of St Thomas Aquinas houses his skull and vials containing organic remains. The 15th-century panel of the Madonna di Mezzagosto (Mid-August Madonna) depicts the town’s patron saint.
