The Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta is located in the Cathedral Square next to the Baptistry and in front of the Bishop Palace.
In June 1834 Pope Gregory XVI has declared it minor basilica.
The original Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta was destroyed by fire between 1055 and 1058, the reconstruction of the current cathedral dates back to the years between 1061 and 1074.
It was consecrated in 1106 by Pasquale II.
In 1178 the artista Benedetto Antelami completed the decorations inside the cathedral, while the bell tower was built between 1284 and 1291 by Obizzo Sanvitale.
The octagonal cathedral dome is entirely painted by Correggio, who was also the author of the frescoes of the patrons of the city: Saint Giovanni Battista, Saint Ilario from Poitiers and Saint Bernardo degli Uberti.
The Cathedral is in Lombard Romanesque style (XIth century).