Barletta Cathedral
Encyclopedia
Barletta Cathedral is a church in Barletta
, Apulia
, southern Italy
. It currently hold the title of co-cathedral
and was built in two different styles, Romanesque
and Gothic
, from the 12th century to the 14th century.
structures dating from the late 4th-early 3rd centuries BC, attributed to an ancient temple dedicated to Neptune
. From the 6th century AD a first palaeo-Christian basilica existed here, having three naves with a central apse, five meters under the current cathedral. After the destruction of the ancient Canosa by Muslim raiders, numerous clerics moved to the Barlettan church, which was renamed as Santa Maria de Auxilio: the 9th century structure had a Latin cross plan, with a pavement mosaic of which traces exists today.
A Romanesque church was built over the pre-existing one in Norman times (12th century), known as Sancta Maria Majoris. Late in the same century the bell tower was also raised, and the capitals of the cyborium were executed by oriental artists. Later the matronei
, the mullioned window and the rose window of the western façade. The new church was consecrated in 1267. The church had a nave and two aisles, divided by two rows of six granite columns and two final pillars. In the 13th century two bays and three semicircular apses (similar to those in the Cathedral of Trani) were also added.
In the 13th century the palatine count Giovanni Pipino da Barletta, a friend of king Charles I of Anjou, promoted a further expansion of the church. The edifice was enlarged eastwards, with a new choir and the removal of the apse and other parts, replaced by new Gothic structures. The renovation ended only in the 16th century.
The church has a rich medieval decoration including capitals with animals, monsters and other fantastic figures. The main façade had originally three portals: the central one, destroyed in unknown circumstances, was replaced by a Renaissance one. Some bas-reliefs of the original portal are inside the cathedral, portraying scenes of the Last Supper and the entrance of Christ in Jerusalem.
Barletta
Barletta is a city and comune located in the north of Apulia in south eastern Italy. Its current population is 94,140.It is famous for the Colossus of Barletta, a bronze statue, representing a Roman Emperor...
, Apulia
Apulia
Apulia is a region in Southern Italy bordering the Adriatic Sea in the east, the Ionian Sea to the southeast, and the Strait of Òtranto and Gulf of Taranto in the south. Its most southern portion, known as Salento peninsula, forms a high heel on the "boot" of Italy. The region comprises , and...
, southern Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. It currently hold the title of co-cathedral
Co-cathedral
A co-cathedral is a cathedral church which shares the function of being a bishop's seat, or cathedra, with another cathedral. Instances of this occurred in England before the Protestant Reformation in the dioceses of Bath and Wells, and of Coventry and Lichfield, hence the names of these dioceses...
and was built in two different styles, Romanesque
Romanesque architecture
Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...
and Gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
, from the 12th century to the 14th century.
History
The church occupies the site of ancient hypogeumHypogeum
Hypogeum or hypogaeum literally means "underground", from Greek hypo and gaia . It usually refers to an underground, non-Christian temple or a tomb...
structures dating from the late 4th-early 3rd centuries BC, attributed to an ancient temple dedicated to Neptune
Neptune (mythology)
Neptune was the god of water and the sea in Roman mythology and religion. He is analogous with, but not identical to, the Greek god Poseidon. In the Greek-influenced tradition, Neptune was the brother of Jupiter and Pluto, each of them presiding over one of the three realms of the universe,...
. From the 6th century AD a first palaeo-Christian basilica existed here, having three naves with a central apse, five meters under the current cathedral. After the destruction of the ancient Canosa by Muslim raiders, numerous clerics moved to the Barlettan church, which was renamed as Santa Maria de Auxilio: the 9th century structure had a Latin cross plan, with a pavement mosaic of which traces exists today.
A Romanesque church was built over the pre-existing one in Norman times (12th century), known as Sancta Maria Majoris. Late in the same century the bell tower was also raised, and the capitals of the cyborium were executed by oriental artists. Later the matronei
Matroneum
A matroneum in architecture is a gallery on the interior of a building, originally intended to accommodate women ....
, the mullioned window and the rose window of the western façade. The new church was consecrated in 1267. The church had a nave and two aisles, divided by two rows of six granite columns and two final pillars. In the 13th century two bays and three semicircular apses (similar to those in the Cathedral of Trani) were also added.
In the 13th century the palatine count Giovanni Pipino da Barletta, a friend of king Charles I of Anjou, promoted a further expansion of the church. The edifice was enlarged eastwards, with a new choir and the removal of the apse and other parts, replaced by new Gothic structures. The renovation ended only in the 16th century.
Description
The church is oriented from east to west, with the Gothic ambulatory oriented eastwards, towards the Castle and the Palazzo Santacroce. The bell tower is located on the northern side, and gives access to the castle through an archway under which are remains of the ancient church's pavement.The church has a rich medieval decoration including capitals with animals, monsters and other fantastic figures. The main façade had originally three portals: the central one, destroyed in unknown circumstances, was replaced by a Renaissance one. Some bas-reliefs of the original portal are inside the cathedral, portraying scenes of the Last Supper and the entrance of Christ in Jerusalem.