Ruvo di Puglia Co-Cathedral

Façade of the church.

The Co-Cathedral of Ruvo di Puglia (Italian: Concattedrale di Ruvo di Puglia) is a church in Ruvo di Puglia, Apulia, southern Italy, an example of late Apulian Romanesque architecture. It was built in the 12th-13th centuries, with several later modifications.

Description

The current exterior is the result of early 20th century restoration works which removed the Baroque additions. The church has a sloped façade with three portals: the central and larger one, flanked by two columns standing on lions and surmounted by griphons, has internal reliefs which once were part of a pre-existing construction. They depict "Christ with the Twelve Apostles", other scenes of the Redeemer's life and vegetable motifs. The smaller ones, at the sides, have a simpler shape, with two semi-columns supporting ogival arches; they also belonged a previous buildings.

Above the portal, under the top, is a double mullioned window with a bas-relief of the "Archangel Michael Defeating the Devil", and, above it, a 16th century rose window with twelve ray columns. This is in turn surmounted by the Sedente (Italian: "Sitting One"), an enigmatic figure which has been variously identified as Robert III of Loritello (who had funded the construction), while at the top of façade is a statue of the Redeemer. The bell tower, in different style, most likely belonged to the medieval city's walls.

The interior is divided into a nave and two aisles, ending into three apses, with an orthogonal transept. The nave, which is larger, features (like the transept) a trussed ceiling and, at its sides, has a fake passageway under which are corbels with human, animal or bestial depictions. It stands on two rows of piers, which are each different from another. Some are cruciform, while others are squared; some capitals are sculpted with elements taken from the Christian or medieval mythology, while others feature simpler vegetable or abstract motifs. The aisles are cross vaulted. At the end of the nave is a 19th century cyborium, inspired to that in the Basilica of San Nicola at Bari. Of the chapels added in Baroque or later styles, only two survives: the Holy Heart Chapel (19th century) and the Holy Sacrament Chapel. Artworks include the wooden statue of St. Blaise, Ruvo's patron saint (16th century), the silver relic case of the same saint, a Virgin of Constantinople panel and a 16th century wooden crucifix. There are also traces of frescoes, executed by Marco Pino's workshop, depicting the Flogging of Christ.

The church's subterranean rooms include the remains of a Palaeo-Christian (5th-6th centuries AD) church and Roman and Peucetian tombs.

See also

• Bitonto Cathedral
• Norman architecture

Sources

• Cassano, R. (2001). "La cattedrale di Ruvo". Cattedrali di Puglia – Una storia lunga duemila anni. Bari. p. 154. 

External links

• Page at Italian Beni Culturali website (Italian)
• Page at Ruvo di Puglia museums website (Italian)