The design of the presbytery in Parma Cathedral is conducive to the solemn and ordered performance of services and rites: it is a large space open to the transepts and resembles a stage at the front of the congregation in the nave.
The altar and the tomb of the martyrs
The altar is composed of a marble table from the nearby Cistercian church of San Martino dei Bocci, supported by the tomb containing relics of the Roman martyrs (Abdon and Sennen, Nicomedites, Herculanus and Pudenziana), brought to Parma by Bishop Vibodo in 892. The supporting structure is a monolith of red Verona marble. On the southern side, the relief depicts Christ Pantocrator surrounded by the four winged beings, symbolising the Four Evangelists. On the westerly side, facing the congregation, is a series of representations of the Apostles, depicted in pairs with carved inscriptions of their names. The northerly side depicts the Saints Abdon and Sennen, noble Persian noble martyrs persecuted by Decius – the most distinguished relics in the urn: they are first represented escaping the flames, which died down at their command (first scene); the easterly side depicts their subsequent decapitation. The sculptor of this exceptional work must have worked closely with Antelami.
The new presbytery
In 2009, the presbytery of the Cathedral was arranged in its definitive layout, with the installation of the episcopal pulpit, the ambo and the altar predella. These new furnishings were designed by the Catalan architect Jaume Bach and exquisitely cast in bronze. Cast in the fine bronze plate are Biblical texts in ancient and modern languages, both in relief and otherwise, as if proclaiming the Gospel to all the people of Earth.
The ciborium
Beneath the apse is a large canopy of gilded wood made in 1766 by Ghirardi. The exquisitely carved white marble ciborium was gilded by Maffeolo di Carrara and depicts two tabernacles. In the central upper part is a statue of the risen Christ with a victorious flag surrounded by Mary and John the Evangelist. In the lower part, under an arch is a pietà, already represented elsewhere. On the right is a face in profile wearing a Franciscan hood: tradition has it that this is Bernardino da Feltre, a famous, popular preacher of the 15th century.
The semi-dome of the apse
Girolamo Bedoli Mazzola painted the fresco of the “Return of Christ the Judge at the end of the world” in 1540: it is the most striking tableau for visitors entering the Cathedral. The risen Christ stands with a serene expression, his arms and hands open, dressed in drapery that reveals his glorious wounds.