Anagni Cathedral

One of the most important churches in medieval Europe, this was once the stage for historic events and ceremonies, which have made Anagni famous. The town has also been a papal seat. Among many notable events in Anagni, the saints canonised here include St Bernard of Clairvaux (1174) and St Clare of Assisi (1255), in 1243 Pope Innocent IV was elected here and Frederick Barbarossa was excommunicated here in 1160. Next to the plain facade stands the majestic Romanesque bell tower, lightened by mullioned and triple lancet windows. Inside the church one is immediately struck by the refined Cosmatesque floor, the array of architectural and decorative elements representing the transition from Romanesque to Gothic, and the wooden triptych of the Saviour on the right nave. But the real treasure is the crypt, dedicated to St Magnus and embellished with a cycle of frescoes depicting the Creation, stories of the Ark of the Covenant, the Apocalypse and the life of St Magnus, patron saint of Anagni. The frescoes are considered masterpieces of the European thirteenth century, in terms of scope and brilliance. Through a narrow passageway, the crypt leads to the oratory of St Thomas Beckett, also frescoed. You can also visit the adjoining Cathedral Museum, itself a treasure trove of wonders, the Treasury, the equisite library, the chapter house, the sacristies, the lapidarium and the archaeological collection, as well as the collections of fine textiles and fabrics.