Cerignola Cathedral

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Cerignola Cathedral
Night view of the entrance facade
inner space

The Cathedral of Cerignola or the Cathedral of Apostle St. Peter ( Italian San Piedro Apostelo ) is a church in Cerignola in the Italian province of Foggia . The cathedral of the Diocese of Cerignola-Ascoli Satriano is one of the largest sacred buildings in southern Italy, built in the 20th century and has the rank of a minor basilica . It was named Duomo Tonti because of the legacy of Paolo Tonti, which made the construction of the church possible.

history

Since the previous cathedral was no longer sufficient for the population of Cerignola at the beginning of the 19th century, a new church was to be built. The city council had a project prepared for 70,000 ducats in 1820, which was followed by a second project by the architect Francesco Saponieri in 1845. Both projects were rejected for economic reasons. The situation changed in 1855 when the wealthy fellow citizen Paolo Tonti bequeathed his fortune to the city in favor of the construction of the new cathedral. After various proposals, the engineer Enrico Alvino's project was finally approved in 1870 for an estimated 127,000 ducats.

Construction began on June 29, 1873 with the laying of the foundation stone for the new building. Alvino died in 1876 and the task was passed on to one of his students, the engineer Giuseppe Pisanti. A series of vicissitudes extended the time until the building was completed, so that the consecration of the church could not be celebrated until September 14, 1934. The church took over the title of Cathedral and the patronage of the Apostle St. Peter from the old cathedral.

The November 23, 1980 earthquake damaged the cathedral. The repair work began in 1982 and concerned the static consolidation of the building, the reconstruction of the lantern , the replacement of the copper cladding of the domes and interventions in the interior and exterior cladding and the organ .

The cathedral of the current diocese of Cerignola-Ascoli Satriano was awarded the title of a minor basilica by Pope John Paul II on February 22, 1999. From the first Saturday after Easter to the second Monday in October, the icon of the Madonna of Ripalta, the main patron saint of the city, is kept in the cathedral.

architecture

The neo-Gothic architecture is inspired by the construction of the Florence Cathedral . The three-aisled basilica is 82 meters long and has the plan of a Latin cross, the choir and transepts of which close with apses . The vaulted ceiling of the main nave reaches a height of 27.7 meters. The huge dome rises above the crossing and the windowed, octagonal tambour , which towers over 75 meters with an outer diameter of 88 meters and carries a 3 meter high cross. The facade is distinguished only by posts and archivolts made of Trani limestone, although the original Pisanti design included columns, niches and niches, battlements, and a high triangular portal that extended to the center of the large rose window. The bell tower was also not built, the bells are stored.

Furnishing

Transept

The white interior was only sparsely furnished. The organ gallery rises above the entrance. To the right of the main entrance is the baptismal font in the form of an octagonal temple supported by a column, on which there is a decorated basin with a bronze statue of John the Baptist at the top . In the middle of the nave, on the right, is the white marble pulpit , decorated with themes reminiscent of the liturgical symbolism.

Leaning against the last pillar on the left in the central nave is the marble cathedra with the bishop's coat of arms , the motto and the name of Felice di Molfetta . Behind it five steps lead to the high altar. The altar is surmounted by a ciborium made of white Carrara marble. The front of the altar is decorated with arches supported by small columns and a bronze grille on the front through which one can see the reliquary with the bones of the martyrs Tryphon , Agapitus and Respicius. The main nave ends behind the high altar with the apse, in which the wooden choir stalls from the 19th century are located. Since Easter 2005, all the windows of the church have been decorated with stained glass, including the rose window above the entrance.

In memory of the benefactor who wanted the construction of the new cathedral, there is a plaque on the wall of the left aisle that covers the urn with the remains of Paolo Tonti.

literature

Web links

Commons : Cerignola Cathedral  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Cattedrale di S. Pietro Apostolo on gcatholic.org
  2. ^ Duomo Tonti di Cerignola, splendido esempio di neogotico in Puglia (Italian)

Coordinates: 41 ° 15 '52.6 "  N , 15 ° 53' 58.9"  E