Originally
faced onto Piazza IV Novembre but was re-orientated when the building
was enlarged in the 15th century. The pulpit facing the Palazzo
dei Priori was built for San Bernardino of Siena who tried so hard
to end the feuds between the Baglioni and the Oddi which tore 15th
century Perugia apart. This was when the cathedral was reconsecrated
with wine to wash away all the bloodshed.
The interior, with its
three naves, is northern in inspiration. It contains a wonderful
Deposition by Federico Barocci, dated 1569, a dynamic composition
prefiguring the Baroque, and, for those who like relics, the
Virgin's wedding ring, kept in a special casket with fifteen
locks to which
the bishop of Perugia has the key. Four medieval conclaves
were held here.
