Chiesa Madre di San Salvatore (Alessano)

The Collegiate Church of San Salvatore is Alessano’s principal church, built to replace a Romanesque cathedral that stood on the site. The present building preserves the town’s former cathedral role, a painting by Paolo Finoglio and the memory of the diocese suppressed in 1818.

Why it matters

The medieval cathedral was replaced in the eighteenth century under Bishop Dionisio Latomo Massa. Felice De Palma designed the new church, whose construction began in 1763 and was funded by offerings from local institutions and residents. The Diocese records completion in 1839, while the municipality dates its reopening to 1845; these milestones reflect different accounts of the building’s completion and return to use. After the diocese was suppressed in 1818 and united with Ugento, the church became a collegiate church.

What to notice

The unfinished neoclassical facade has three portals and a central marble plaque bearing Alessano’s civic arms. Inside, the church follows a Latin-cross plan with three naves and Baroque altars. In the right aisle, the altar of San Raffaele contains Paolo Finoglio’s Tobiolo e l’angelo, a work associated with the Caravaggesque school. The old campanile is the surviving element of the Romanesque cathedral.

Context and history

Alessano’s cathedral is documented in Romanesque form between 1150 and 1200. An early-seventeenth-century description records a single nave with a wooden roof and crypts used for noble burials. In 1755, Bishop Massa judged the building beyond repair and commissioned a replacement from De Palma, retaining the old bell tower. Work began in 1763 and continued for decades. The Diocese records completion after seventy-six years, in November 1839; the municipal account says the church reopened in 1845. Benedetto Torsello designed the present facade, which was left incomplete. Don Tonino Bello, born in Alessano, received sacraments and priestly ordination in the church. Since 1968 it has also been a titular episcopal see.