Museo d'Arte Sacra di Bitonto

The Museum of Sacred Art of Bitonto presents religious objects and artworks from the city's churches and convents, from the Byzantine period to the present.

Why it matters

The collection documents the religious and civic history of Bitonto through objects made or commissioned by the city's parishes and religious communities. It includes a rare Franciscan panel and works associated with the local painter Carlo Rosa.

What to notice

The collection includes Byzantine capitals, a Romanesque altar frontal, the panel of Saint Francis, paintings by artists including Carlo Rosa and Nicola Gliri, liturgical silver, vestments, books and archival documents. Some textiles are associated with the workshops of San Leucio and Benedictine communities in the region.

Context and history

The collection was assembled through the initiative of Monsignor Aurelio Marena and continued by his successors. It was first displayed in episcopal rooms beside the co-cathedral and later moved to the former convent of the Friars Minor Conventual, which also housed the city's seminary. The collection forms the Bitonto section of the Archdiocesan Diocesan Museum.