Cathedral of Como

Como Cathedral is a Roman Catholic cathedral in the city of Como in the Lombardy region of Italy and the seat of the Bishop of Como. It is a place dedicated to the Exaltation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The cathedral, located near Lake Como, is one of the most important buildings in the area. The building is usually described as the last Gothic cathedral built in Italy: construction on it, on the site of the earlier Romanesque cathedral dedicated to Santa Maria Maggiore, began in 1396, 10 years after the foundation of Milan's cathedral. The building work, begun under the direction of Lorenzo degli Spazzi di Laino, was not finished until 1770 with the completion of the Rococo dome by Filippo Juvarra. The massive west front was built between 1457 and 1498 and features a rose window and portal between statues of Pliny the Elder and Pliny the Younger, two natives of Como.