Cathedral of St. Rufinus

 
 
 Beside its architectural importance, the Cathedral of St. Rufinus also played a very prominent role in the history of the Franciscan order. This is the church in which St. 
Francis preached his first sermon, and it was also here that Clare met Bishop Guido, who gave her the blessed olive branch on Palm Sunday. Several other churches had 
been built previously on the site of the cathedral present there today. Construction began in 1140 on the order issued by John of Gubbio. 

The Façade 
 

This Romanesque façade is one of the most beautiful examples of the architectural style that was so widespread during the twelfth century throughout the churches built

in the regions of Umbria and Abruzzi. 
The façade is composed of three sections, the first two of which are divided into vertical pilasters that give the church its soaring impetus. The lowest part has square 
insets that are spaced evenly from each other and become larger as they move towards the small arches that divide the bottom section from the middle section. 
The three portals are adorned extensively and greatly reflect the artistic influence of the age. 
The arch above the Main Portal (image) is covered with floral motifs that are interspersed with scenes from the lives of the saints, giving this entrance a very powerful
effect. In the lunette inside the circle is Christ on the Throne. To the left, also seated on a throne, is the Madonna with Jesus at her breast, while St. Rufinus is depicted
on the right.
Two lions are at the base of the main portal.
Instead, the griffins are placed at the sides of the secondary doorways (the one on the left is usually used as the church entryway). Floral and animal motifs are
alternated inside the circles. In the middle section of the façade, three breathtaking rose windows stand out above the small and elegant colonnade.
The central rose window (image) seems to be held up by three nuptial beds, or telamons, which are sustained in turn by animals, whereas four sculptures representing
the Four Evangelists are set in the corners of an imaginary square circumscribing the rose window.
The upper part of the façade, which is triangular in shape, has an ogival arch that was added later and that was almost certainly meant to hold a frieze, which was never
completed.
Also worthy of note is the lovely bell tower, which has a square base and is thought to be set over a Roman cistern.
At the bottom of the bell tower is a building that some scholars retain to be the house in which St. Clare was born.

The Interior

After seeing such an impressive exterior, some may find the inside somewhat disappointing. In fact, rather than being Romanesque, the inside of the church was

completely redone by Galeazzo Alessi in 1571 in order to consolidate and reinforce it. The inside, which comprises a nave and two side aisles, is subdivided by massive
pillars. During the restoration work done in 1969, various friezes and stucco work were eliminated.

Baptismal Font

St. Francis and St. Clare were baptized here. 

This is also the site of the Oratory of St. Francis, where the Poor One often came to pray. The presbytery, which is covered by a Renaissance dome, has a very marked
octagonal shape with smaller side passageways that open out onto the nave and the aisles. In it are several works by Dono Doni (The Deposition and The Crucifixion),
the Tomb of St. Vital (1370) and the Tomb of St. Rufinus of Arce, whereas under the main altar is the Tomb of St. Rufinus. 
 

Triptych with Madonna and Child

The apse is dominated by a majestic sixteenth-century wooden choir. The presbytery also opens out onto the Chapel of Grief (late nineteenth century), which was given
this name because it contains a wooden copy of a terra-cotta sculpture representing the Pietà (15th century). It is traditionally said that at the end of the fifteenth
century, the Madonna was seen shedding tears. 

The Crypt

The crypt winds its way under the cathedral and is composed of a nave and two aisles, with a cross vault and an apse. It contains a Roman sarcophagus (third century)
that once held the remains of St. Rufinus. Also located here is the Pozzo della Mensa, a medieval well that is 28 meters deep. To the side of the well are the ruins that
remain of a Carolingian cloister (tenth century).