When the Roman Empire began collapsing, Christianity prevailed and the Roman Catholic Church kept its territories together.

The Roman colony adjacent ... intersected with parts of the church to form a cross shape in the architecture. Three apses — commonly recognized as a semi-dome near the ceiling — were also ...

Occupying the Piazza del Duomo in the heart of the city, this massive Gothic cathedral was erected during the 14th century on the former site of the Roman ... the church's massive, iconic dome ...

The epicenter of Roman Catholicism ... from 7 a.m. to 7:10 p.m.; select attractions within the church may have different hours. The dome is open at 7:30 a.m. and closes at 5 p.m. in winter ...