![Puglia Altamura2 tango7174](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/43/Puglia_Altamura2_tango7174.jpg)
Altamura Cathedral ( it, Duomo di Altamura, ''Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta''), dedicated to the
Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
The Assumption of Mary is one of the four Marian dogmas of the Catholic Church. Pope Pius XII defined it in 1950 in his apostolic constitution ''Munificentissimus Deus'' as follows:
We proclaim and define it to be a dogma revealed by Go ...
, is a
Roman Catholic
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
* Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
* Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...
cathedral
A cathedral is a church that contains the '' cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denominatio ...
in the city of
Altamura, in the
Metropolitan City of Bari
The Metropolitan City of Bari ( it, Città Metropolitana di Bari) is a Metropolitan cities of Italy, metropolitan city in the Apulia region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Bari. It replaced the Province of Bari and includes the city of Bari a ...
,
Apulia, in southern Italy.
Since 1986 it has been the seat of the
Bishop of Altamura-Gravina-Acquaviva delle Fonti, formed in that year. Previously it was the church of the
territorial prelature of Altamura (from 1848, Altamura e Acquviva delle Fonti).
History
The church was built by will of
emperor Frederick in 1232-1254. The main gate, the portal, the rose window were all on the opposite side that in today's construction, while the altar was located in the area where the main gate is now. In 1248, under pressure from Frederick,
Pope Innocent IV
Pope Innocent IV ( la, Innocentius IV; – 7 December 1254), born Sinibaldo Fieschi, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 25 June 1243 to his death in 1254.
Fieschi was born in Genoa and studied at the universitie ...
declared Altamura exempt from the jurisdiction of the
bishop of Bari, making it a "palatine" church, one of four in Apulia.
Historian Domenico Santoro (1688) hypothesized that the church may occupy the location of a Greek or Roman temple dedicated to
Castor and Pollux
Castor; grc, Κάστωρ, Kástōr, beaver. and Pollux. (or Polydeukes). are twin half-brothers in Greek and Roman mythology, known together as the Dioscuri.; grc, Διόσκουροι, Dióskouroi, sons of Zeus, links=no, from ''Dîos'' ('Z ...
,
[T. Berloco (1985), p. 22, note 13] since on the capitols of the chorus two statues of Castor and Pollux were present at least until the 18th century, before being destroyed. Vitangelo Frizzale (1755), instead, states that it was a temple devoted to
Janus ( la , Ianus bifrons), a Roman deity. This would be confirmed by the presence, in the past, of a
two-faced herm on the cusp of the Cathedral's ancient façade. However, during the restoration works performed in the 2010s, this sculpture was instead identified as the head of a
Saracen
upright 1.5, Late 15th-century German woodcut depicting Saracens
Saracen ( ) was a term used in the early centuries, both in Greek and Latin writings, to refer to the people who lived in and near what was designated by the Romans as Arabia Pe ...
. The sculpture had an
apotropaic
Apotropaic magic (from Greek "to ward off") or protective magic is a type of magic intended to turn away harm or evil influences, as in deflecting misfortune or averting the evil eye. Apotropaic observances may also be practiced out of superst ...
purpose and it evoked the fears of an invasion of Saracens, which, especially in the 16th century, was a widespread fear among Mediterranean Europe Christians.
![Altamura Cathedral - Inscription](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/41/Altamura_Cathedral_-_Inscription.jpg)
An inscription in
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
, located upon the so-called "Angevin door" ( it, Porta Angioina), says that the church collapsed on January 29, 1316 and that it was rebuilt with the help of skilled constructors from the nearby
Bitonto. The first man who correctly translated this inscription was local historian
Ottavio Serena, as he stated in his unfinished work ''Storia di Altamura''. Previous historians incorrectly translated the inscription (which was hard to read and written in bad Latin), assigning the inscription referred to a privilege that Altamura benefited, according to which every year Bitonto's mayor used to come to Altamura to take the price list of the foods and to spread it to the whole province.
The current orientation of the church is opposite to the original one, although it is not known if the change dates to
Robert of Anjou
Robert of Anjou ( it, Roberto d'Angiò), known as Robert the Wise ( it, Roberto il Saggio; 1276 – 20 January 1343), was King of Naples, titular King of Jerusalem and Count of Provence and Forcalquier from 1309 to 1343, the central figure of Ita ...
's reign (early 14th century) or to the enlargement carried out in 1521-1547. The northern portal dates from Robert's time, while the second bell tower, the altar area and the sacristy were added in the 16th century. From the 18th century are the upper parts of the two bell towers and the small loggia between them. A chamber containing a clock (Altamuran dialect: ''casa dell'arlogio'', it, casa dell'orologio) with weights and counterweights, was demolished in the first half of the 16th century and then it was built again, and its latter shape it appears an 18th century painting of
Saint Irene in the Council Hall of the city of Altamura. In the same painting, a thunder is shown hitting the tower of the cathedral; this refers to a real accident, which occurred in 1726. According to the sources, the thunder hit the cathedral twice, and it considerably damaged it. Over the following three years, restoration works were carried out and the towers were also extended. Domes were also added to each of the two towers (as shown in the previous paintings, the domes had not been built yet).
On the place where today is the clock tower, just above the
seats
A seat is a place to sit. The term may encompass additional features, such as back, armrest, head restraint but also headquarters in a wider sense.
Types of seat
The following are examples of different kinds of seat:
* Armchair, a chair eq ...
, the cathedral also had a secondary
rose window and other surrounding windows, which are now walled.
In 1729, the statues of the
Assumption of Mary
The Assumption of Mary is one of the four Marian dogmas of the Catholic Church. Pope Pius XII defined it in 1950 in his apostolic constitution '' Munificentissimus Deus'' as follows:
We proclaim and define it to be a dogma revealed by ...
( it, Assunta) and of the two saints
Peter
Peter may refer to:
People
* List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name
* Peter (given name)
** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church
* Peter (surname), a sur ...
e
Paul
Paul may refer to:
*Paul (given name), a given name (includes a list of people with that name)
* Paul (surname), a list of people
People
Christianity
*Paul the Apostle (AD c.5–c.64/65), also known as Saul of Tarsus or Saint Paul, early Chri ...
were made and then added. In the following years, the clock chamber was also dismissed and it turned into a Baroque
loggia
In architecture, a loggia ( , usually , ) is a covered exterior gallery or corridor, usually on an upper level, but sometimes on the ground level of a building. The outer wall is open to the elements, usually supported by a series of columns ...
which is now visible between the two towers.
In 1858 (just three days before the
Unification of Italy), the clock tower was added (designed by architect Corradino de Judicibus).
![Altamura Cathedral - The clock tower](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a5/Altamura_Cathedral_-_The_clock_tower.jpg)
Altamura Cathedral has been restored in 2006 The works have restored the external walls of the cathedral to their original white color.
Another restoration work has been carried out in 2017 for the floor, the lighting system, the three entrance
portals and other wooden structures.
Architecture
Exterior
The façade has two tall bell towers with two orders in the right one, and three (including the first in
Romanesque style, in the left one, which are joined by a small
loggia
In architecture, a loggia ( , usually , ) is a covered exterior gallery or corridor, usually on an upper level, but sometimes on the ground level of a building. The outer wall is open to the elements, usually supported by a series of columns ...
surmounted by a
tympanum. Most portals and windows have
Gothic pointed arch
A pointed arch, ogival arch, or Gothic arch is an arch with a pointed crown, whose two curving sides meet at a relatively sharp angle at the top of the arch. This architectural element was particularly important in Gothic architecture. The earlie ...
es (as also Frederick II's
Castel del Monte has). The loggia houses a small statue of the Immaculate Virgin, while two statues of Sts. Peter and Paul are located at the tympanum sides. Under the loggia is a 14th century
rose window, with 15 rays and, at its center, a
bas relief depicting the
Agnus Dei
is the Latin name under which the " Lamb of God" is honoured within the Catholic Mass and other Christian liturgies descending from the Latin liturgical tradition. It is the name given to a specific prayer that occurs in these liturgies, and ...
. At the left of the rose windows are three
coat of arms
A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement, which in its ...
: the center one belonged to 16th century emperor
Charles V Charles V may refer to:
* Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (1500–1558)
* Charles V of Naples (1661–1700), better known as Charles II of Spain
* Charles V of France (1338–1380), called the Wise
* Charles V, Duke of Lorraine (1643–1690)
* Infa ...
, while the other two date from the 16th century restoration works. Further to the left is a
mullioned window with Eastern art-like decorations from the original Frederick II's building.
The façade is completed by a 14th century portal, included within a
prothyrum supported by two columns that have, at their base, two sculpture of lions (1533). At the top is a tympanum with the coats of arms of the
House of Anjou and of the
princes of Taranto
The Principality of Taranto was a state in southern Italy created in 1088 for Bohemond I, eldest son of Robert Guiscard, as part of the peace between him and his younger brother Roger Borsa after a dispute over the succession to the Duchy of Ap ...
, rulers of Altamura in the late 14th century. The portal is decorated with numerous sculpted Biblical scenes: in the
lunette is a ''Virgin with Child and Two Angels''; in the
architrave is a ''Last Supper'': finally, the arches houses 22 scenes from the Gospels, depicting Jesus' life from the
Annunciation to the
Pentecost.
Interior
Thee church has a nave and two aisles separated by columns and pillars, with
matronaea at the sides. The capitals, in
Byzantine
The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...
style, are the last decoration detail visible today of the original Frederick II's building, together with the matronaea and the apse at the left of the portal.
The nave, with a wooden ceiling decorated with gilded stuccoes, ends in a large 18th century
high altar, executed in 1736-1793. The
altarpiece is an ''Assumption of the Virgin'' by
Leonardo Castellano (1546). The
presbytery houses a lavishly decorated wooden choir from 1543, a stone
ambon
Ambon may refer to:
Places
* Ambon Island, an island in Indonesia
** Ambon, Maluku, a city on Ambon Island, the capital of Maluku province
** Governorate of Ambon, a colony of the Dutch East India Company from 1605 to 1796
* Ambon, Morbihan, a c ...
with sculpted scenes from Jesus' life, and a wooden pulpit also dating from the 16th century.
The aisles feature six side chapels each. The first left chapel is home to a polychrome wooden
nativity scene
In the Christian tradition, a nativity scene (also known as a manger scene, crib, crèche ( or ), or in Italian ''presepio'' or ''presepe'', or Bethlehem) is the special exhibition, particularly during the Christmas season, of art objects rep ...
from 1587. The fourth left chapel, dedicated to St. Joseph, is in
Baroque
The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...
and includes a polychrome marble altar with the statue of the saint holding Jesus' hand with a
baldachin
A baldachin, or baldaquin (from it, baldacchino), is a canopy of state typically placed over an altar or throne. It had its beginnings as a cloth canopy, but in other cases it is a sturdy, permanent architectural feature, particularly over h ...
.
The church also houses a canvas by Domenico Morelli depicting ''St. Paul's Conversion'' (1876).
Gallery
File:Plaque Cagnazzi - Altamura Cathedral.jpg, Commemorative plaque about Italian scientist Luca de Samuele Cagnazzi
Luca de Samuele Cagnazzi (28 October 1764 – 26 September 1852) was an Italian archdeacon, scientist, mathematician, political economist. He also wrote a book about pedagogy and invented the tonograph.
Life
Born at Altamura, in what is no ...
, located inside "Cappellone di San Giuseppe".[ Lamiavita, pp. 270-271.]
References
Sources
* Blanchard, Paul, 1990: ''Southern Italy from Rome to Calabria'': The Blue Guides, 7th edn., p. 345. London: A & C Black
*
*
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{{coord, 40.82741, 16.55311, format=dms, display=title, type:landmark
Churches completed in 1232
Roman Catholic cathedrals in Italy
Cathedrals in Apulia
Churches in the metropolitan city of Bari
Cathedral
A cathedral is a church that contains the '' cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denomination ...
Romanesque architecture in Apulia
Buildings and structures in the Province of Bari