The Cathedral of Vieste

The Cathedral of Vieste, today Minor Basilica, stands in the upper part of the medieval village, a few steps from the suggestive Castello Svevo. Dedicated to Santa Maria Assunta in Cielo, was built in the second half of the 11th century and is one of the oldest examples of Romanesque-Apulian style in Puglia. Its basilica plan, with three naves divided by two rows of six columns, still shows the original Corinthian and cubic capitals, decorated with zoomorphic and floral motifs that recall oriental influences, rather than Apulian ones, attributable to the Arab taste and the Campania-Beneventan tradition. On the outside, original architectural elements are preserved such as the northern wall with friezes, the side entrance with lion protomes and a splayed single-lancet window.

The transformations of the Cathedral of Vieste over the centuries

Over the centuries, the Cathedral has suffered numerous damages due to unfortunate events: among these, the Venetian sacking of 1239, the Turkish raids of 1480 and 1554, and the earthquakes of 1223 and 1646 which destroyed part of the structure, including the Romanesque façade and the bell tower. The current bell tower, rebuilt in Baroque style after a further collapse in 1772, was completed only in 1814. Starting from the second half of the eighteenth century, the bishops Cimaglia and Maruca promoted a phase of renovation with the plastering of the walls, the insertion of decorative stuccos, inlaid marble altars and a new wooden ceiling painted in Neapolitan Baroque style. The latter depicts three large canvases with the Madonna Assunta, San Michele Arcangelo and San Giorgio, the saints who give their names to the three districts of the Old Town.

The interior of the Cathedral of Vieste

Entering the Cathedral, the visit begins with two display cases that house the "Casse" of the Our Lady of Merino, used during the solemn processions of May 9th. The Baptistery Chapel, the oldest, houses a marble font with a wooden cover decorated by Neapolitan craftsmen. Among the most important side chapels we find the one dedicated to San Giorgio, with a tuff altar and relics of San Pio; that of the Madonna del Rosario with an altarpiece from 1521 by Michele Manchelli; the Chapel of the SS. Trinità with works by the local painter Tomaiuolo, and the Cappella del Popolo, which houses the wooden statue of Santa Maria di Merino, a religious symbol of the city. Each chapel is enriched with paintings, frescoes, sculpted altars and precious devotional elements.

The Cathedral also houses valuable works such as the Dead Christ, a marble high relief from the Michelangelo school, and a Sacred Conversation from the Venetian school in the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament.

In the right nave there are other chapels dedicated to Our Lady of Sorrows, Saint Anne, Saint Michael, Saint Francis of Paola and the Annunciation, which houses marble elements and frescoes from the 1981th century. The artistic and symbolic richness of these spaces makes the visit an immersive experience in the spirituality and culture of Gargano. In February XNUMX, Pope John Paul II awarded the Cathedral the title of Minor Basilica, recognizing its historical and religious importance.