The cathedral of Salò stands on the main piazza, its incomplete façade a quirk in an otherwise handsome late-Gothic building begun in 1453. Inside the contrast is striking: the bare exterior gives way to a wealth of Renaissance and Baroque paintings, including works by Romanino and Moretto da Brescia, two of the finest Brescian painters of the 16th century. A gilded polyptych from 1510 anchors the high altar.
The church is calm and largely unvisited even in high season, which makes it an unusually peaceful stop compared to the more tourist-heavy towns along the lake. The piazza in front is the natural gathering place of Salò, lined with arcades and Liberty-style buildings rebuilt after the earthquake of 1901 that destroyed much of the old town.