A commitment across the centuries
The Fabbriceria
Caring for the Cathedral means safeguarding a religious, artistic and civic inheritance. This responsibility connects the Fabbriceria with Pavia’s history and its future.
Caring for the Cathedral
The Fabbriceria is responsible for safeguarding, conserving and promoting the heritage of Pavia Cathedral. Its work connects knowledge of the building with its conservation needs and its significance for the community.
The Cathedral is the place to discover; this website tells the story of the institution entrusted with its care. The history of the Cathedral works and its restoration reveals the decisions and effort involved in passing this beauty on.
The beginnings of the Cathedral works
On 18 August 1487, the people of Pavia appealed to Cardinal Ascanio Maria Sforza about the condition of the old Cathedral. In 1488, three representatives of the Fabbriceria travelled to Milan to present plans for a new building to Ascanio Sforza and Ludovico il Moro.
The foundation stone was laid on 29 June 1488. Construction continued through centuries of activity and interruption. Its history also tells of the responsibilities shared by the city and those overseeing the Cathedral works.
A responsibility to pass on
The building we see today is the result of a long construction history. Caring for it means understanding its architecture, recognising its vulnerabilities and respecting its religious and cultural significance.
The story of restoration makes this continuity visible. The crypt, whose restoration is complete, is the first feature through which we explore the heritage in the Fabbriceria’s care.