Carpi Cathedral is dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary and is the seat of the Diocese of Carpi in Emilia-Romagna. King Aistulf built the original church on the site in 756, on a medieval pieve dedicated to Mary. Construction of the present building began around 1514 to a design by Baldassare Peruzzi, for Alberto III Pio, Count of Carpi.
The facade is Baroque, and the plan is a Latin cross. The diocese was established in 1779, with Francesco Benincasa as its first bishop. The church was made a minor basilica in 1979 for the diocese's bicentenary.
Earthquakes in 2012 seriously damaged it. It reopened for worship on March 25, 2017, after restoration, and a new lighting system was added during the work.
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