Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta

The Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta stands on Piazza Benedetto XIII in Gravina in Puglia. Its history is associated with a 1092 charter and includes a fifteenth-century enlargement and later Baroque decoration. The church is also where Pier Francesco Orsini, later Pope Benedict XIII, was baptised.

Why it matters

The cathedral chapter’s account of the church’s foundation is based on a charter dated 1092. It recounts that Count Umfrido d’Altavilla began the church and sought the restoration of Gravina’s episcopal dignity; the original parchment is preserved in a 1327 copy in the Diocesan Historical Archive. The building remains the principal church of the Diocese of Altamura-Gravina-Acquaviva delle Fonti.

What to notice

The fifteenth-century facade includes a large rose window and carved floral motifs. Inside, the basilican plan retains Romanesque features, including carved column capitals. A gilded wooden coffered ceiling frames five canvases, with the Assunta in the central panel. The baptismal font is associated with Pier Francesco Orsini, who became Pope Benedict XIII in 1724. Other works include a San Michele attributed to Stefano da Putignano and a 1779 canvas by Bardellino.

Context and history

The cathedral’s history combines its Norman-era foundation with later building campaigns and decoration. A major enlargement took place in the fifteenth century, followed by Baroque additions to the interior. The church contains the chapel commissioned in 1632 by Bishop Arcasio Ricci of Pescia, whose bust is attributed to Francesco Mochi. In the apse, a wooden choir was commissioned at the end of the sixteenth century; the sacristy preserves a walnut counter dated 1561.