Cathedral of San Panfilo, Sulmona

The Cathedral of San Panfilo, built on the remains of a pagan temple, was renovated by Bishop Trasmondo in 1075; after the earthquake of 1706, the reconstruction in Baroque style replaced the ancient Romanesque building, of which the three apses and the portal on the left side survived.

The facade with a horizontal crown is divided into two levels by a string course and contains the bell tower with a sail-shaped top; from the ancient structure survive the medieval portal by Nicola Salvitti and the lunette with the Deposition of Christ.

The longitudinal floor plan has three naves separated by circular pillars; from the elevated presbytery you access the saint’s crypt and the cathedral museum. Notable are the choir and the wooden pulpit carved by Ferdinando Mosca from Pescolano, the 15th-century tomb monuments, and the frescoes of the crypt.

In the halls of the Cathedral of San Panfilo complex, there is a museum displaying part of the cathedral’s treasure, along with a rich archive containing over 12,000 documents and 3,000 parchments from the period between the 11th and 19th centuries.