Cividale’s 16th-century, Venetian-Gothic cathedral sits on an ancient 8th-century church and is filled with unusual treasures. Among them is the lacquered wooden statue of Cividale hero Marcantonio da Manzano, a 13th-century wooden crucifix and a bejewelled altarpiece – a medieval masterpiece. Commissioned by Patriarch Pellegrino II, it consists of 123 embossed and gilded silver plates depicting the Madonna and Child surrounded by 25 saints. The adjacent Museo Cristiano houses the 8th-century stone Altar of Ratchis, a stunning Lombard relic.
Sharp-etched carvings, including a be-quiffed oddly modern Jesus with one very piercing stare, dramatically pop against the smooth white background.