Ipogeo archeologico della Concattedrale

Beneath the Co-Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta in Ruvo di Puglia, an underground archaeological area preserves traces of successive communities. Tombs, floor surfaces and mosaics from Peucetian, Roman and early medieval periods reveal layers of the town’s history below its Romanesque church.

Why it matters

The hypogeum reveals the long use of the ground beneath Ruvo’s co-cathedral. Archaeological investigations under the church exposed earlier building remains and evidence of activity extending from the Peucetian period through the Roman and early medieval eras. The present cathedral, built between the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, stands above these earlier layers.

What to notice

The underground remains include tombs, floor surfaces and mosaics from different periods. Excavations also identified the foundations of an earlier church beneath the Romanesque cathedral. Its pillars were reused as foundations for the later building, preserving the earlier alignment below the present structure.

Context and history

The co-cathedral’s underground archaeology came to light during restoration work in the early twentieth century. Further investigations beneath the church between 1977 and 1982 documented the earlier building and successive phases of occupation, including Peucetian structures and a late antique place of worship. Together, these remains connect Ruvo’s Romanesque landmark with the communities and buildings that preceded it.