The San Paolo Church is the Cathedral of Alatri and is located near the ancient Acropolis of the city. One of the four main Eucharistic Miracles recognized by the Church took place here.
San Paolo Cathedral Alatri
Useful information
The address of the Concattedrale di San Paolo is Piazzale dell’Acropoli – Alatri.
History and description
The San Paolo Cathedral is located on the same site where there used to be pagan sanctuaries.
The church was built in the early 10th century. The architecture was Romanesque. From the 13th century onward, it was restored multiple times before undergoing a complete facelift in the 18th century.
The current facade and the bell tower date from the period between 1790 and 1808 and are the work of the architect Jacopo Subleyras.
The interior is decorated in a neo-classical style. In the first chapel on the right you can see remains of an antique pulpit decorated with Cosmatesque motifs.
At the very back of the left nave one can see the relics of San Sisto I, the patron saint of Alatri. There is also a statue of this saint, whose remains were brought to the city in 1132.
The second chapel on the right houses the body of Blessed Maria Raffella Cimatti, placed here in 2010.
The Host made flesh
In the chapel on the right before the steps leading to the rectory, a small part of the Miracle of the Incarnate Host can be seen. In 1228, a young woman, at the behest of an old shrew, stole the sacred host and took it home, hiding it in a bread barrel. When she opened the drum three days later, instead of the host there was a piece of bleeding human flesh. She regretted her act and took it to the church, where it is still preserved today. This event is one of the four main Eucharistic Miracles recognized by the Catholic Church.