Termoli Cathedral ( it, Duomo di Termoli; ''Cattedrale di Santa Maria della Purificazione'') 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 lette ...

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 ...

Termoli Termoli (Neapolitan language, Molisano: ''Térmëlë'') is a town and ''comune'' (municipality) on the south Adriatic coast of Italy, in the province of Campobasso, region of Molise. It has a population of around 32,000, having expanded quickly af ...

, in the

province of Campobasso A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman ''provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions outsi ...

, central

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

. The dedication is to the

Purification of the Virgin Mary The Presentation of Jesus at the Temple (or ''in the temple'') is an early episode in the life of Jesus Christ, describing his presentation at the Temple in Jerusalem, that is celebrated by many churches 40 days after Christmas on Candlemas, o ...

, but is commonly ascribed to Saints Bassus and Timothy, patrons of the city. It is the seat of the Bishop of Termoli-Larino.

History

The first church was built around the 6th century on the ruins of a 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 ...

. There is a reference to a larger church dedicated to the

Virgin Mary Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother o ...

(''Ecclesia Sanctae Matris'') in 1037, a few years after the synod held by

Pope John XIII Pope John XIII ( la, Ioannes XIII; died 6 September 972) was the bishop of Rome and ruler of the Papal States from 1 October 965 to his death. His pontificate was caught up in the continuing conflict between the Holy Roman emperor, Otto I, and t ...

in 969, which was attended by the first

bishop of Termoli The Italian Catholic diocese of Termoli-Larino ( la, Dioecesis Thermularum-Larinensis) has existed since 1986. In that year the diocese of Larino was united into the historic diocese of Termoli, in existence since the tenth century. It is a suff ...

. Some remains have been discovered, under the extant church, of an 11th-century basilica. The present Romanesque building was constructed in the 12th and 13th centuries on the site of its predecessors, and is attributed to Alfano of Termoli, perhaps the same who made the ciborium in

Bari Cathedral Bari Cathedral, or Cathedral of Saint Sabinus, ( it, Duomo di Bari or ''Cattedrale di San Sabino'') is the cathedral of Bari, in Apulia, southern Italy. The cathedral is the seat of the Archbishop of Bari-Bitonto, as it was previously of the arc ...

. The cathedral was restored after an earthquake in 1464 and again after an attack by Ottoman Turks in 1566. During other renovation works in 1760 and 1962, the

relics In religion, a relic is an object or article of religious significance from the past. It usually consists of the physical remains of a saint or the personal effects of the saint or venerated person preserved for purposes of veneration as a tangi ...

of Saint Bassus of Lucera and of

Saint Timothy Timothy or Timothy of Ephesus (Greek language, Greek: ; ''Timótheos'', meaning "honouring God" or "honoured by God") was an early Christian Evangelism, evangelist and the first Christianity, Christian bishop of Ephesus, who tradition relates die ...

respectively, patron saints of the city of Termoli, were discovered.

Description

The west front of the cathedral measures 22 metres at its highest point. The lower, older, part is elaborately ornamented; the upper part contains only the

rose window Rose window is often used as a generic term applied to a circular window, but is especially used for those found in Gothic cathedrals and churches. The windows are divided into segments by stone mullions and tracery. The term ''rose window'' w ...

, and was restored after the Turkish raid of 1566. In the lower part are seven blind arcades with double

mullion A mullion is a vertical element that forms a division between units of a window or screen, or is used decoratively. It is also often used as a division between double doors. When dividing adjacent window units its primary purpose is a rigid supp ...

ed windows, each different from the others, and decorated with

acanthus leaves The acanthus ( grc, ἄκανθος) is one of the most common plant forms to make foliage ornament and decoration, and even as the leaf distinguishing the heraldic coronet of a manorial lord from other coronets of royalty or nobility, which us ...

and human figures. The central arcade, which is bigger than the others, has a

portal Portal often refers to: * Portal (architecture), an opening in a wall of a building, gate or fortification, or the extremities (ends) of a tunnel Portal may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Gaming * ''Portal'' (series), two video games ...

surrounded by small columns. The inscription in one of the

lunette A lunette (French ''lunette'', "little moon") is a half-moon shaped architectural space, variously filled with sculpture, painted, glazed, filled with recessed masonry, or void. A lunette may also be segmental, and the arch may be an arc take ...

s of the double window commemorates Stasio Grimaldi di Giovanni, who contributed financially to the building works of the cathedral. The cathedral has a

basilica In Ancient Roman architecture, a basilica is a large public building with multiple functions, typically built alongside the town's forum. The basilica was in the Latin West equivalent to a stoa in the Greek East. The building gave its name ...

l ground plan, with three naves and three semicircular apses with piers on round bases. The interior has been returned to its original condition after lengthy restoration works between 1930 and 1969, which removed the

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 ...

additions.

Sources

* Palma, G. and others (1996): ''Termoli, i dintorni, le Tremiti''. Leone Editrice * ''La Basilica Cattedrale''. Azienda Autonoma di Soggiorno e Turismo di Termoli (A.A.S.T.), 2000 {{coord, 42, 00, 19, N, 14, 59, 51, E, region:IT_type:landmark_source:kolossus-frwiki, display=title 13th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Italy Roman Catholic cathedrals in Italy Cathedrals in Molise Churches in the province of Campobasso Romanesque architecture in Molise Minor basilicas in Molise