The Church of Our Lady of the Rosary (Chiesa della Beata Vergine del Rosario), universally known as the Asmara Cathedral, is one of the most striking and beloved architectural landmarks in the capital of Eritrea. Built in the early 1920s during the height of the Italian colonial era, this magnificent church is a testament to the ambitious vision of the time, designed to serve the growing Italian Catholic community. Its stunning Lombard Romanesque style, soaring Gothic bell tower, and prominent location in the heart of the city’s historic modernist centre make it a powerful symbol of Asmara’s unique architectural heritage and its multicultural history.

Name and Address

• Name: Church of Our Lady of the Rosary (often referred to simply as “the Cathedral”).
• Address: Located on Harnet Avenue, the main street in central Asmara, Eritrea.

How to Get There

The cathedral is the most prominent landmark in downtown Asmara and is impossible to miss.

• By Foot (Recommended): The best way to experience the cathedral is by walking along Harnet Avenue. Its bell tower is visible from almost anywhere in the city center, serving as a useful navigation point.
• By Taxi: A taxi from any part of Asmara can take you directly to the cathedral.
• Visitor Tip: The cathedral is an active parish church. Visitors are welcome, but it is important to be respectful, especially during services. For a small fee, you can often climb the bell tower, which offers the most spectacular 360-degree panoramic views of Asmara’s unique modernist cityscape.

Landscape and Architecture

The landscape is the heart of Asmara’s UNESCO-listed modernist city center, and the architecture is a masterful example of Italian religious design transplanted to Africa.

• Lombard Romanesque Style: The main body of the church was designed by Milanese architect Oreste Scanavini and is a superb example of the Lombard Romanesque Revival style. It is built almost entirely of red bricks, giving it a warm, earthy tone that stands out in the cityscape. The design features a traditional Latin cross layout with a nave, two side aisles, and three apses.
• Gothic Bell Tower (Campanile): The most famous feature is the freestanding bell tower, which was completed in 1925. At 52 meters (171 feet) tall, this separate structure is built in a more Gothic style. It contains eight bells cast from melted-down Austro-Hungarian cannons captured during World War I.
• Interior Details: The interior is a vast and peaceful space. A notable feature is the painting of the Assumption of Mary behind the high altar, which was a gift from King Victor Emmanuel III of Italy. An inscription within the church honors the principal donors to its construction, including Benito Mussolini.
• The Compound: The cathedral is part of a larger complex that includes a primary school, a monastery, and a nunnery, all built in a harmonious style.

What Makes It Famous

The Asmara Cathedral is famous for being the most impressive piece of Italian religious architecture in the city and for its iconic, skyline-dominating bell tower.

• A Symbol of “Piccola Roma”: The cathedral is the most powerful architectural symbol of the era when Asmara was known as Piccola Roma (Little Rome). It was built as the principal church for the tens of thousands of Italians who lived in the colonial capital.
• The Bell Tower and City Views: Its tall, elegant bell tower is the cathedral’s most famous feature and the best vantage point in the entire city. Climbing to the top provides an unparalleled panoramic view of Asmara’s unique collection of modernist, Art Deco, and rationalist architecture.
• Lombard Style in Africa: It is considered one of the finest examples of Lombard Romanesque architecture found anywhere outside of Italy, making it a unique architectural gem on the African continent.

Differences from Other Wonders

The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Rosary offers a distinctly European architectural experience that contrasts with Asmara’s other major religious landmarks.

• Italian Catholic vs. Coptic Orthodox: The cathedral’s Lombard Romanesque style is purely Italian. This is a stark contrast to the Enda Mariam Orthodox Cathedral, which features a fascinating blend of Italian modernist and traditional Eritrean design elements, reflecting a more local architectural synthesis.
• Christian Landmark vs. Islamic Landmark: The cathedral is one of the “three religious landmarks” of central Asmara, alongside the Enda Mariam Cathedral and the Great Mosque of Asmara (Al Kulafah Al Rashedin). While the mosque is a beautiful example of Islamic architecture with its grand minaret, the cathedral is a towering monument to the city’s Catholic history.
• Colonial Heritage vs. Indigenous Culture: As a structure built by and for the Italian community, the cathedral represents the colonial layer of Asmara’s history. This is a different cultural context from the Enda Mariam Cathedral, which serves the indigenous Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo community and represents a deeper, older Christian tradition in the country.