Atri Cathedral

In 1295 there was mention of the Holy Door of Atri, which had been established in that period: it is therefore thought that originally there must have been a small portal which was then replaced with the current one in 1305.

We do not know for sure which Pope granted this privilege, perhaps Celestine V (whose mother was from Atri) or Boniface VIII (who had already risen to the papal throne in 1295); even today the Holy Door is solemnly opened in the presence of thousands of people on August 14th and closed 8 days later, on August 22nd.

The choir contains a fresco cycle by the 15th-century Abruzzi painter Andrea de Litio (or Delitio).

The characters are often depicted in very intimate, simple surroundings and with details that accentuate the informality of the situations (e.g. domestic animals).

The crypt was originally a large Roman cistern; another forms the foundation of the ducal palace; and in the eastern portion of the town there is a complicated system of underground passages for collecting and storing water.