The Cathedral of San Gerardo is the main church or duomo of the city of Potenza. A temple at the site, dedicated to the Virgin of the Assumption, likely dated to the 5th or 6th century, when it was supposedly founded by Saint Orontius of Lecce. A new church dedicated to St Gerardo della Porta, who became patron of the town and whose relics are sheltered here, was built between the 12th and 13th centuries, under the patronage of the bishop Bartolomeo (1197-1206). The five-story stone belltower from this church, attributed to designs by Sàrolo di Muro Lucano, still exists.
The present church is mainly due to a reconstruction during 1783 to 1799 in neoclassical-style with a design by Antonio Magri, a pupil of Luigi Vanvitelli. Since the church has required repairs after various earthquakes and a bombardment in 1943.
The ceilings and the apse have an elaborate program of frescoes painted in the 20th century. The ceiling was painted (1933-1934) from the façade to the presbytery with scenes from the old to new testament by the painter Mario Prayer. The bronze doors (1968) were created by Giuseppe Niglia. Below the main altar is a crypt with archeologic evidence of prior structures in a mosaic pavement. The dome has frescoes depicting a procession of St Gerard. The apse has a Christ the Redeemer frescoed against a bright background. The chapel of St Gerard has a 15th-century reliquary statue.
References:The Clementinum is a historic complex of buildings in Prague. Until recently the complex hosted the National, University and Technical libraries, the City Library also being located nearby on Mariánské Náměstí. The Technical library and the Municipal library have moved to the Prague National Technical Library at Technická 6 since 2009. It is currently in use as the National Library of the Czech Republic.
Its history dates from the existence of a chapel dedicated to Saint Clement in the 11th century. A Dominican monastery was founded in the medieval period, which was transformed in 1556 to a Jesuit college. In 1622 the Jesuits transferred the library of Charles University to the Klementinum, and the college was merged with the University in 1654. The Jesuits remained until 1773, when the Klementinum was established as an observatory, library, and university by the Empress Maria Theresa of Austria.