Cathedral Basilica of St. Septimus

The Cathedral Basilica of St. Septimus, locally known as Duomo di Jesi, stands proudly in the historic Piazza Federico II in Jesi, Italy. This magnificent structure is not only the main Catholic place of worship in Jesi but also a testament to the city’s rich historical and architectural heritage. Elevated to the status of a minor basilica in 1969 during the celebrations for the 500th anniversary of the rediscovery of the body of St. Septimus, the patron saint of Jesi, the Cathedral Basilica of St. Septimus is a must-visit for anyone exploring this charming Italian city.

A Journey Through History

The site of the Cathedral Basilica of St. Septimus has been a sacred place for centuries, with its roots tracing back to a Roman pagan temple that once overlooked the Forum. The first cathedral on this site was dedicated to the Holy Savior and existed well before the year 1000, as evidenced by a document from 1119. Under Bishop Dago in 1208, a new cathedral was constructed in a transitional style between Romanesque and Gothic, featuring a three-nave design. This structure included a Romanesque bell tower and a Gothic loggia connecting the cathedral to the adjacent bishop's palace.

In 1227, the architect Giorgio da Como began work on a new façade made of white stone, which was completed in 1238. The façade featured a central rose window and a portico supported by columns resting on the backs of two red Verona marble lions, which now serve as holy water fonts inside the current cathedral.

Significant renovations took place in 1469 under Bishop Tommaso Ghislieri, who transformed the interior into a single nave in the Renaissance style. During these renovations, the remains of St. Septimus, the first bishop and founder of the Jesi diocese in the 4th century, were discovered, leading to the cathedral's dedication to him. The 16th century saw further enhancements, including the addition of a Renaissance-style tomb for Bishop Angelo Ripanti, sculpted by Giovanni di Gabriele da Como.

The Current Cathedral

The Cathedral Basilica of St. Septimus as we see it today was largely the work of Bishop Antonio Fonseca, who in 1732, inspired by the architectural renewal sweeping through Europe, decided to demolish the old cathedral and rebuild it according to the designs of the Roman architect Filippo Barigioni. Completed in 1741, the new cathedral features a Latin cross plan with a single large nave and a hemispherical dome at the intersection with the transept, reflecting the late Baroque style of the period.

The dome's pendentives were frescoed in 1785 by Carlo Paolucci and Placido Lazzarini, who had previously worked on the nearby Palazzo Pianetti. The cathedral also boasts several side chapels, richly decorated with stuccoes, paintings, and other artworks commissioned by the local aristocracy. The choir, designed by the Jesi artist Domenico Luigi Valeri and carved in walnut by Marco Baroncio by 1770, is a highlight. The cathedral also features two large Rococo-style wooden choirs equipped with organs. In 1771, the Fiammese painter Cristoforo Unterperger created the grand altarpiece of the Institution of the Eucharist for the Blessed Sacrament altar.

Exterior Grandeur

The cathedral's façade, completed in 1889 during the episcopate of Rambaldo Magagnini, was designed by Gaetano Morichini. It features red brick and travertine masonry, divided into two sections by a cornice supported by four smooth Corinthian pilasters. The lower section includes a central portal with modern bronze doors, a shallow portico with a triangular pediment supported by two Corinthian columns, and statues of St. Marcellus I and St. Septimus in niches on either side. The upper section is characterized by a central Serlian window flanked by marble bas-reliefs depicting the coats of arms of Pope Leo XIII and Bishop Rambaldo Magagnini.

The Bell Tower

Adjacent to the cathedral, the 37-meter-high bell tower, constructed between 1782 and 1784 by the Jesi architect Francesco Matellicani, is inspired by the bell tower of the Basilica of the Holy House of Loreto, designed by Luigi Vanvitelli. The tower features a square plan, brick construction, a lower section with faux rustication, an intermediate level housing a clock donated by Canon Filippo Ricci, and a large bell chamber with a white stone balustrade and a Baroque bulbous crown. The stone sculptures adorning the tower were crafted by the stonemason Filippo Pancaldi.

Interior Splendor

Inside, the Cathedral Basilica of St. Septimus reveals a Latin cross plan with a single nave flanked by six chapels, three on each side, a shallow transept, and a semicircular apse. The nave is covered by a barrel vault with lunettes and illuminated by rectangular windows. A painting of the Annunciation adorns the central vault. The entrance is marked by a vestibule flanked by holy water fonts made from the red Verona marble lions by Giorgio da Como and a plaque commemorating the 18th-century renovations. The side chapels, sponsored by prominent local families, feature rectangular plans, lunette windows, and marble balustrades.

Notable chapels include the Chapel of St. Francis of Assisi, or the Counts Fossa, which houses the red Verona marble baptismal font where Giovanni Battista Pergolesi was baptized on January 4, 1710. The Chapel of St. Blaise features an altarpiece attributed to Giovanni Odazzi, depicting St. Blaise healing the widow's son. The Chapel of St. John the Baptist, or the Counts Balleani, is adorned with precious polychrome marbles and frescoes by the painter Deglae from Augusta, depicting episodes from the life of St. John the Baptist. The altarpiece of the Preaching of the Baptist by Filippo Bellini, originally from the old cathedral, is another highlight.

The left side of the nave features the Baroque pulpit, while the right transept houses the urns of St. Septimus and St. Florian, the city's patron saints, along with Baroque epitaphs of the Honorati family and a grand marble altar with Gaetano Lapis's 1745 painting of the Martyrdom of St. Lawrence. The opposite transept displays Cristoforo Unterperger's 1782 painting of the Communion of the Apostles and the Renaissance tomb of Angelo Ripanti from 1512.

The central crossing is topped by a hemispherical dome with a lantern, decorated with simple stucco ribs. The four pendentives feature frescoes of the Four Evangelists by Placido Lazzarini, dating from around 1750. The deep semicircular apse is entirely occupied by the presbytery, raised a few steps above the rest of the church. The central baroque high altar is made of polychrome marble, while the advanced position features a white marble lectern created from the amalgamation of stone decorations from a 13th-century altar, with bas-reliefs depicting the symbols of the Evangelists. The apse's conch is adorned with wooden choir stalls designed by Domenico Luigi Valeri and carved by Marco Baroncio by 1770, and a marble altarpiece in high relief depicting the Madonna of Loreto, commissioned by Bishop Alderano Cybo-Malaspina between 1656 and 1671. The apse's vault was frescoed in 1937 by Biagio Biagetti, depicting the Redeemer enthroned among Saints, with Christ Pantocrator at the center, flanked by Saints Florian, Romuald, Septimus, and Francis of Assisi.

Visiting the Cathedral Basilica of St. Septimus is not just an exploration of a religious site but a journey through centuries of history, art, and devotion. Whether you are drawn by its architectural beauty, its historical significance, or its spiritual ambiance, the Cathedral Basilica of St. Septimus in Jesi offers an enriching and unforgettable experience.