Basilica Concattedrale di Santa Maria Maggiore

The Basilica Concattedrale di Santa Maria Maggiore in Barletta combines a Romanesque nave with a Gothic eastern end and occupies a layered archaeological site.

Why it matters

Barletta's oldest sanctuary anchors the historic centre and preserves successive phases of the city's religious and architectural history. Its foundations incorporate traces of an early Christian basilica and earlier burials.

What to notice

The Romanesque facade retains side portals and a Renaissance central portal flanked by stone lions. Inside, the lower Romanesque bays contrast with tall Gothic arches and an eastern ambulatory with radiating chapels. Excavations near the bell tower have revealed stretches of Roman paving.

Context and history

Construction began in 1126 and continued eastward through the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. The church became a cathedral in 1860, was elevated to minor basilica in 1961 and became a co-cathedral in 1986. The site includes chamber tombs dating from the fourth to third centuries BC and remains of an early Christian basilica.