Casale Monferrato Cathedral is dedicated to Saint Evasius. It is the episcopal seat of the Diocese of Casale Monferrato. The present Romanesque and Gothic structure was first consecrated in 1107 or 1108, but a previous church from the 9th century stood on the site.
The cathedral has a narthex. The interior has five naves, of which the central one is marked by tall polychrome columns rising two storeys. The ceilings are frescoed, sometimes sky blue.
On the south, the first chapel houses an 18th-century marble statuary group depicting the Ecstasy of Mary Magdalen by Giovanni Battista Bernero. A small column monogrammed with the sign of Christ is the spot where the town's patron saint, Evasius, was martyred. Tradition maintains that if someone puts his or her ear to the column, it is possible to hear the blood of the saint flowing.
The south arm of the transept opens onto the elliptical Chapel of Saint Evasius (1793), a Baroque feature which houses the relics of the saint in a silver statue, restored despite looting. The apse of the cathedral has an 11th-century crucifix. The ceiling of the apse was frescoed by Costantino Sereno, depicting Christ in Glory with Angels.
Behind the church is a museum of religious artworks.
References:Stobi was an ancient town of Paeonia located near Gradsko. It is considered by many to be the most famous archaeological site in North Macedonia. Stobi was built where the Erigon (Crna River) joins the Axios (Vardar), making it strategically important as a center for both trade and warfare.
Stobi developed from a Paeonian settlement established in the Archaic period. It is believed that in 217 BCE, Philip V annexed Paionia during his campaign against the Dardani who had entered Bylazora, the largest Paeonian town.
The city was first mentioned in writing by the historian Livy, in connection with a victory of Philip V of Macedon over the Dardani in 197 BC. In 168 BC, the Romans defeated Perseus and Macedonia was divided into four nominally independent republics. In 148 BC, the four areas of Macedonia were brought together in a unified Roman province. In the reign of Augustus the city grew in size and population.