Duomo di Massa Marittima

The Dome of Massa Marittima, dedicated to St. Cerbone, was built between the end of the XII century and the first half of the XIII century in the place where a more ancient church was set. Its façade develops on three overlapping artistic orders: the lower order is made of seven blind arcades decorated with oculi and lozenges.

In the middle order, five blind arches are arranged to imitate a covered gallery: the thin central columns, that are set in front of a rose window added later, rise on sculptures representing the Simboli degli Evangelisti.
The façade tympanum is also decorated with a covered gallery constituted of ten sloping arcades that are supported by columns resting upon anthropomorphous and zoomorphic sculptures.
The three spires and the mullioned window with four openings, set behind the lodge, were the result of later works. On the architrave of the entrance gate there are five Episodi della vita di San Cerbone carved in bas-relief. The sides of the building show some of the decorations of the façade. They are divided on two levels, of which the lower corresponds to the walls of the aisles and the upper to the nave. They also have blind arcades and a bichromate decoration with rows of white and green stones and intervals of little hanging arches and little columns.
The quadrangular tower bell was mainly rebuilt in the twenties of the XX century.
The inside of the building is divided into one nave and two aisles supported by columns with carved capitals and decorations of vegetal elements or animals. The façade rose window has a polychrome stained glass window dating to the first half of the XVI century and representing S. Cerbone davanti al Papa Virgilio.
Numerous works of art are kept inside the Dome of Massa Marittima. Among them, there is the font, set at the beginning of the right aisle and created from one single travertine block in 1267 by Giroldo da Como and it was decorated with reliefs with Storie del Battista. At the centre of the basin, a marble tabernacle with small carved images of Patriarchi e Profeti of 1447, rises. Behind the high altar, the marble monument called the Arca of S. Cerbone, which is dedicated to the saint of the church, is kept.
This precious work signed by the author Goro di Gregorio and dating to 1324, is constituted of a marble urn decorated with eight high-relief scenes depicting the Leggenda di San Cerbone and it is closed by a four-slopes lid with carved medallions.
Finally, the chapel dedicated to the Virgin Mary (to the left of the presbytery) currently keeps the fragmentary Maestà on the inside. It is the most precious work of art in the whole building and it was painted on wood panel around the year 1316 by the famous Sienese painter Duccio di Buoninsegna and by his shop.
It was originally destined to the high altar of the Dome and it represents the Madonna col Bambino (the so-called Madonna delle Grazie) on the front side and the Storie della Passione di Cristo on the reverse side.