Alessandria Cathedral is dedicated to Saints Peter and Mark. It is the seat of the Bishop of Alessandria. A diocese centred on Alessandria was created in 1175 by Pope Alexander III, and a cathedral dedicated to Saint Peter was built as the bishop's seat at that time. It was too small however, so was demolished and rebuilt between 1288 and 1297. This cathedral was demolished for military tactical reasons on the order of Napoleon Bonaparte in 1803.
The dispossessed bishop and chapter received the permission of the French general of the occupying troops to elevate the church of St Mark to the status of cathedral. This church had been built in the 13th century for the use of the Dominicans. The French troops had commandeered it in 1797 for quarters. The church had however to be rebuilt: this took place from 1807 to 1810, and the new Neo-classical cathedral, named after both Saint Peter and Saint Mark, opened in December 1810.
A major restoration was carried out from 1875 to 1879, and the cathedral was actually consecrated only in 1879, at the end of these further works. The interior was badly damaged by fire in 1925, and was extensively refurbished between 1925 and 1929.
References:Visby Cathedral (also known as St. Mary’s Church) is the only survived medieval church in Visby. It was originally built for German merchants and inaugurated in 1225. Around the year 1350 the church was enlarged and converted into a basilica. The two-storey magazine was also added then above the nave as a warehouse for merchants.
Following the Reformation, the church was transformed into a parish church for the town of Visby. All other churches were abandoned. Shortly after the Reformation, in 1572, Gotland was made into its own Diocese, and the church designated its cathedral.
There is not much left of the original interior. The font is made of local red marble in the 13th century. The pulpit was made in Lübeck in 1684. There are 400 graves under the church floor.