| The cathedral �Il Duomo�, located in Piazza Duomo, was most unique. The central part of this church had been in existence for 2500 years. Originally it was the Temple of Athena. With the arrival of Christianity it was converted into a Christian church. Interestingly nothing was ever destroyed but only additions and alterations made to the original building. In a Greek temple the statue of the Greek god or goddess for whom the temple was dedicated was located inside a windowless rectangular building and that building was entirely surrounded by columns. When the temple became a church, what was closed in the Greek temple became open and what was open became closed. Archways were carved out of the solid temple building and then the spaces filled-in between the 5th century BC Doric columns. During the Baroque period, chapels were added along one side of the originally filled-in columns. The apostle Paul spoke here on his voyage to Rome, and this church was one of the first to be dedicated to Christ. |
