Montalto Cathedral
The cathedral of Montalto delle Marche was founded by Pope Sixtus V in 1586 and the existing church of Santa Maria ad collem was transformed into a temporary cathedral. The construction of a new, larger cathedral began on 30 May 1589 with the laying of the foundation stone: the architect of the initial plans was Girolamo Rainaldi. By the death of Pope Sixtus (1590), the crypt was almost finished, but there was still much to be done and the work took at least another century. At the end of the 17th century, the cathedral was made usable and services could begin in the new cathedral, although not yet completed.