Altamura Cathedral

About

Altamura Cathedral (Italian: Duomo di Altamura, Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta), dedicated to the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is a Roman Catholic cathedral in the city of Altamura, in the Metropolitan City of Bari, Apulia, in southern Italy. Since 1986 it has been the seat of the Bishop of Altamura-Gravina-Acquaviva delle Fonti, formed in that year. Previously it was the church of the territorial prelature of Altamura (from 1848, Altamura e Acquviva delle Fonti).

History: The church was built by will of emperor Frederick in 1232–1254. The main gate, the portal, the rose window were all on the opposite side that in today's construction, while the altar was located in the area where the main gate is now. In 1248, under pressure from Frederick, Pope Innocent IV declared Altamura exempt from the jurisdiction of the bishop of Bari, making it a "palatine" church, one of four in Apulia. Historian Domenico Santoro (1688) hypothesized that the church may occupy the location of a Greek or Roman temple dedicated to Castor and Pollux, since on the capitols of the chorus two statues of Castor and Pollux were present at least until the 18th century, before being destroyed. Vitangelo...