MAIN ALTAR AND APSE

This section of the tour takes the visitor through the arch of triumph - a symbol of the triumph of life over death that takes place at the altar during the Eucharist - onto the altar itself, made in the 19^th century. On an ancient pedestal within the altar sits the Crown of thorns, a creation by Claudio Parmiggiani (2014). In 2015 the dome above the Holy of Holies - where some relics are kept - was painted by Nicola De Maria with frescos in primary colours symbolic of the joy of the heavenly New Jerusalem, built on the blood and bones of the martyrs. The tour, like a pilgrimage, continues in the apse with the vision of the New Jerusalem, where an installation by David Simpson (1995) accentuates the light coming from the three majestic windows.