Holy Catholic Cathedral of Saint Francis of Assisi
Marble and onyx Rationalist-style cathedral built by an occupying power in under three years.
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About this audio guide
This guide to the Holy Catholic Cathedral of Saint Francis of Assisi in Rhodes traces its construction between 1936 and 1939, when Italian governor Mario Lago and archbishop Giovanni Castellani laid the first stone of a Rationalist-style cathedral by architect Armando Bernabiti. You'll hear why a Franciscan presence dating back seven hundred years suddenly warranted a building this size, and what Mussolini's government hoped it would say about Rhodes. Look for the fourteen terracotta panels carved by the sculptor Monteleone in 1940.
This audio guide was created using AI.
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