Overview
The dome of St Catherine's Church towers over the Venezia Nuova district, making it immediately recognisable in the city skyline of Livorno. The church was built over a period of more than a century: work began in the first half of the 18th century to a design by Giovanni Del Fantasia and was not completed until 1869.
The rough façade contrasts with the interior, which opens up into a harmonious octagonal space, embellished by the marble and decorations of the chapels lit by large windows.
Among the main works of art kept in the church is the altarpiece by Vasari representing the Coronation of the Virgin, late work by the artist from Arezzo and donated to the church in 1818. The dome was frescoed by Cesare Maffei in the second half of the 19th century with figures of the Four Evangelists and scenes from the life of the Virgin. The work covers 1500 square metres and took over 15 years to complete.
