Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul, Sessa Aurunca

The Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul stands in Sessa Aurunca, a historic town in the Campania region of Italy. The building dates from the early 12th century, with its foundation traditionally assigned to June 14, 1113, although the precise date remains uncertain. Its builders reused stone, columns, and capitals from ancient Suessa, the Roman predecessor of the town.

The Romanesque façade is preceded by a portico constructed between the late 12th and early 13th centuries. Two rounded arches flank a pointed central arch, whose sculpted archivolt includes episodes from the lives of Saints Peter and Paul. Above the main doorway, a medieval relief depicts Christ enthroned between the two apostles against a mosaic background.

Inside, ancient columns divide the cathedral into three naves. Important medieval survivals include the 12th-century mosaic pavement and the early 13th-century ambo and Paschal candlestick. Reliefs associated with the sculptor Pellegrino depict episodes from the Book of Jonah, including Jonah emerging from the great fish. Extensive renovations during the 18th century gave much of the interior a Baroque character, while later restorations recovered portions of the medieval structure.