The Cathedral of Benevento dates back to the Lombard foundation of the Duchy of Benevento at the end of the 8th century, but after its destruction during the Allied bombings during the Second World War, it was largely rebuilt in the 1960s.
The Church of Saint Sophia is a circular building of Byzantine inspiration dating from the Lombard period and consecrated during the reign of Duke Arigis II of Benevento around 760. Now modernised, it has a roof supported by six ancient columns. The church was severely damaged by the earthquake of 1688 and was rebuilt in Baroque style under the direction of the future Pope Benedict XIII. It became a UNESCO World Heritage Site, one of a group of seven sites listed as Longobards in Italy.
The cathedral of Avellino was built between 1132 and 1166. However, thanks to the will of various bishops, and sometimes also because of various damages caused by earthquakes and wars, the structure has undergone numerous restorations and extensions. The Cathedral, which has a Romanesque appearance, kept its original appearance until the end of the 17th century when the first transformations and restorations began. In the second half of the 19th century, Bishop Francesco Gallo (1855-1896) had the cathedral completely rebuilt and enlarged, transforming it into a neoclassical building. The façade was rebuilt by the architect Pasquale Cardola between 1857 and 1868, while the interior was transformed by the architect Vincenzo Varriale, who worked intensively on it from 1880 to 1889.
The Cathedral of Ariano Irpino was built in the 10th century on the ruins of an ancient temple of Apollo. King Charles I of Anjou (1266 - 1285) had the cathedral rebuilt, which was completed much later, in 1309. The new building was damaged by the earthquake of 1349 and then devastated by the great earthquake of 1456. The basilica was hit again by earthquakes in March 1517, June 1688, September 1694, March 1702 and especially in November 1732. The bishop of the time, Filippo Tipaldi, completed the new construction of the sacred building in 1736, giving it its modern structure and forms. Still damaged by the earthquake of 1962, the cathedral was then subject to extensive renovations and was reopened for worship in 1982, while the bell tower, which collapsed in the earthquake of 1980 without causing any casualties, was later rebuilt.
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