Overview
From Via del Duomo you can see a glimpse of the cathedral, dedicated to St Mary Major. It has an 11th-century bell tower, rebuilt in the 18th century following an earthquake. Passing below the arch under the bell tower, you find yourself in front of the Gothic-style apse and have the first taste of this elegant building, on which construction began in the 12th century and was completed two centuries later, after various extensions. On the simple original Romanesque structure, which has a nave and two aisles, the signs of the long construction are plain to see: the façade is in the Apulian Romanesque style, the portal is Renaissance, while the presbytery and apse are based on Gothic architecture. Inside, the sacred ornaments consist of fine sculptured elements like the pulpit dating from 1267 and the ciborium with its plain capitals, evidence of the oriental influences seen at that time in the city, an important trading hub between East and West. In the underground crypt you can see the oldest parts of the church, as well as the remains of an early Christian basilica from the 10th-11th century. The 'Treasury' contains gold jewellery, Islamic ivory, paintings, scrolls and furnishings.
