The oldest artefacts of the Cathedral are in the first span of the nave on the sides of the door: the lion and lioness, Romanesque sculptures. Today they hold the holy water font. In ancient times they perhaps held the columns of the portal of Santa Maria Maggiore, the previous cathedral.
The light comes in through two gothic stained-glass windows and the rose-window, painted with the stories of St. Abbondio (the fourth Bishop of Como and of the patron of the diocese) by Giuseppe e Giovanni Bertini (1849-1851), painters from Milan.
In the rose window worshipping angels and flaming suns are depicted, stemming from the iconography of St. Bernardino of Siena, perhaps derived from the original picture, of which is preserved a little part, right in the center, where there is the medieval grisaille.
The vault, painted as all the others in 1839 by Carlo Fontana e Francesco Gabetta, bears in the center, as well as all the other vaults of the navy, the carved and painted circular keystone representing the bust of Abraham (late 15th century).
In the medallions of 1839 are depicted:
St.Eupilio 9th Bishop of Como and St. Eutichio 8th Bishop ofi Como
St.Teresa nun and St. Luigi Gonzaga minor clerk
St.Gaetano priest and St.Apollonia virgin and martyr
St. Crispino martyr and St. Pietro Martire of Verona
The windows of the clerestory are decorated by frames in Gothic/Renaissance style designed by Melchiorre Nosetti in 1827 and carved by various artists.
In this span begins the incomplete series of the Apostles bearing torches, set on the pillars, carved by Tommaso Rodary and his assistants. The symbolism is clear: the Apostles are the pillars of the Church. St. Philip is on the northern pillar, St. Judges Thaddeus on the southern.
The floor in hexagonal slab of white marble from Musso, and black from Varenna was begun in 1850 by the Monzini’s workshop; due to wear five hundred slabs were substituted in 1960 and other fifty in 1962.
The baptismal font is included in the elegant circular little temple of the late 16th century designed by Giovan Antonio Piotti also known as Il Vacallo The little temple is made of the materials characterizing the architecture of the Cathedral: the white marble from Musso (Lake Como), black marble from Olcio (Lake Como), red stone from Arzo (Switzerland), mainly the “macchiavecchia” of the eight column stems of composite order and of the balustrade. The ceiling was redone in 1960.
The batismal font, by sculptors of the ‘400, was on the opposite side of the central span before being placed in this little temple.
The carved wooden lid is by Carlo Galfetti (1904).
On the opposite side of the baptistery there is a sandstone sarcophagus, with reliefs of saints flanking Mary and the Child on the front. ,
This sarcophagus is the work of Campionesi masters and it was given by the Rosales family from Bernate to Diego Coletti Bishop of Como in 2015.
It was once placed in Villa Rosales in Bernate, but its origin is unknown. It has been supposed that it may come from the Abbazia di Vertemate, but it is more probable that this aristocratic tomb dating back to the early 14th century was in the destroyed Dominican church of St. Giovanni Pedemonte in Como.
In the corner between the counter-façade and the half-pillar is placed another Renaissance sculpture: a stoup.
The counter-façade holds the tapestry with the Assumption of the Virgin, donated at the end of the 16th century by Bishop Volpi to the Cathedral. The tapestry is a Milanese work dating from 1525 to 1535, inspired by Bernardino Luini’s painting with a quote from Raffaello’s Madonna di Foligno.
The six paintings hung on the wall over the door come from the destroyed Dominican church of St. Giovanni Pedemonte. The four smaller paintings are from the early 18th century and depict holy bishops.
The two large canvases can be dated after 1630. They were altarpieces. The canvas on the left depict The Adoration of the risen Christ of saints Adalberto, Giustina and two kneeling Dominican friars and was commissioned by the Mugiasca family. The painting is signed by Antonio Maria Crespi known as Bustino . The other painting is The Adoration of the Magi commissioned by the Ponga family . It is in the Morazzonian style, attributed to two Como painters, Giovanni Paolo Ghianda and Giovan Battista Recchi, who may have finished the painting leaving the initials “R” after Ghianda died of the plague (1637).
The four smaller paintings are from the early 18th century and represent holy bishops.
The baptismal font is decorated with St. John the Baptist stories in eight episodes, the symbolic number of the baptism.
1St John as a child in the desert: in the background the walled city, in the foreground a locust and a lizard
2The first come come from the turreted and walled city
4 St. John appoints Jesus to his disciples
5 St. John among disciples and soldiers with spears and halberds
6 St. John preaching to Herod and Herodias: it is inspired by Masolino’ frescoes in Castiglione Olona
7 Feast of Herod and the Beheading of St. John
8 Burial of St. John: the twelve disciples celebrate the funeral and honor the Baptist as Jesus’ precursor.