A few days ago I had to drive Serena’s mother down to the Civico Ospedale di Carrara to have an eye test carried out. We got to the appointment on time but, as usual, there was to be a long delay, so Serena suggested I went off to explore the town whilst she sat in the waiting room with her mother.

I’ve never been that attracted by the Massa Carrara area with all its marble works, factories and shopping centres set against what I consider the depressing backdrop of desecrated quarry riddled mountains. However, I enjoy the challenge of trying to find something attractive, or at least interesting wherever I go, so I set off on foot towards the centro storico, guided by the campanile of il Duomo di Carrara.

I had soon left the modern hospital complex behind me and begun to enter a maze of tall narrow slightly decadent streets. I could no longer see the campanile, but having a good sense of direction, and following my instincts I pressed forward. Suddenly I found myself in an irregularly shaped piazza with, tucked strangely to one side, a surprisingly beautiful church. Ecco il Duomo! (So here’s the Cathedral) I said to myself.

The first thing that struck me was the odd position of the Duomo. I’m used to seeing the facades of Italian churches and cathedrals facing out over sizeable piazzas. However, il Duomo di Carrara, which has one of the most beautiful facades that I’ve seen in a long time, was strangely marginalised and hidden away so that it was virtually impossible to stand back and take it all in.

The beautiful Facade of the Cathedral … strangely tucked away behind later buildings

A detail of the intricate rose window carved from local Carrara marble

I have a limited capacity for absorbing historical data, and tend to forget names and dates fairly quickly, being far more inspired by aesthetics and what I can only describe as my ‘feelings’ for a place or an object. It either speaks to me or it doesn’t.

But I loved the Duomo immediately. I loved the way it squatted patiently in its corner of the piazza like a huge ancient infinitely wise cat, purring contentedly to itself and saying to me “if you could only see what my eyes have seen”. And without doubt they have certainly seen a lot since its inception in the first half of the 11th century. Ten centuries of weddings, Christenings, and funerals, of sorrow, joy, war and peace, all of which I seemed to sense as I stepped into the dimly lit interior, mercifully free of the usual Baroque clutter that I find so tedious. Inside, the Duomo is simple and slightly decrepit in a fascinating way, with layer upon layer of modifications, traces of crumbling frescos, and candle blackened side altars.

The interior, simple and slightly decrepit in a fascinating way

But perhaps you like historical or architectural details, in which case I’ll direct you to this site where you’ll find a slide show project written in a rather quaint Italianised English by a group of Italian high school students.

Serena was rather jealous when I got back to the hospital and told her about my ‘discovery’. Oh well, I suppose we’ll just have to go back there again!