Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore di Siponto

Santa Maria di Siponto, in the literature of Santa Maria Maggiore di Siponto or Basilica of Santa Maggiore di Siponto, is a former cathedral in the area of ancient Sipontum in Puglia, a medieval abandoned and re-established as Manfredonia city. The church is the only building still standing today deserted. She stands next to or on ancient and early Christian buildings. Interestingly, it is because of its architectural history. Your external design became the model for a number of other churches. Her actual building type has not prevailed in Puglia. It is minor since 1977 in the rank of a Basilica.

Location

The church is located on a feeder to the Strada Statale 89, about 500 meters west of the modern seaside resort Siponto and about 3 kilometers southwest of the center of Manfredonia.

History and Architectural History

The present church building stands beside the remains of an early Christian basilica from the 6th century, the nave - the foundation remains of which can be seen next to the church - was probably built over an ancient shrine to Diana. You may stands on the site of the Baptistery or the atrium of the former basilica. The position as a baptistery could also explain why it was built as Zentralkuppelbau. What is certain is that the old basilica was destroyed by an earthquake in 991. The reconstruction of the building is from 1025 can be seen in successive phases, which hangs safely with the re-transfer of temporarily laid under the Lombards to Benevento bishop 's seat in 1023 together. Also Siponto was equally the rank of Benevento as an archbishopric, which led to political problems. An archbishop Leone 1023-1050 welfare. Called is already in the final church, Pope Leo IX. a synod in 1050. Under Pope Alexander II, a council took place here, just seventeen, years later, in 1067 instead. This building also did not last long, it was again destroyed by an earthquake in the late 11th century. He was, however, quite swiftly established and largely back in the old forms. The first official message about the building is its ( re-) ordination 1117th It was a erected over a square Zentralkuppelbau with a Byzantine dome. 1223, a major earthquake destroyed Siponto finally, the construction in its old form was so not restore. When this became clear, turned to the central axis of the church by 90 degrees. The old portal - today's northern portal - lost its function as the main portal. He was replaced by today's so-called lion portal. Hence the construction of a second, just offset by 90 degrees apse was necessary. Thus the Church now has two portals and two apses.

Around this time - the older literature called the outgoing 12th century, the newer the 13th century - was still visible to the fundamental transformation in the interior instead. From the original one central room two floors, today's Upper Church and the Lower Church, including crypt were called by withdrawal of a false ceiling columns. In the same time the outer, until now visible transformation of the exterior walls of the upper floor, which became the model for the design of other churches falls. The construction type of the central building has not prevailed in Apulia, however. Santa Maria di Siponto has remained unique to this region in the High Middle Ages.

The church was built in 16-17. Century and restored in 1977 by Pope Paul VI. for minor basilica raised.

Appearance

The exterior of the cubic superstructure itself is structured by a series of blind arcades, where columns are presented. The arcades themselves are doubly graded and finely chiselled out in the exterior of the two arches. The capitals of the columns follow the Corinthian order, but simplified and slightly modified in part. The pillars on which the present main portal, the portal lions, seated on the figures of lions, are antique. The Lion portal is staggered deeper in contrast to the other sheets that are Archivolts time worked toward the interior fine. Also striking is the design of the blend arc surfaces with diamond windows, both in the lower zone, just above the base zone, and partly between the capitals at the slanted to the portal areas. This particular design was the model for the design of other churches, the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta in Troy, the cathedrals in Foggia and Termoli, or the church of Santa Maria Maggiore in Monte Sant'Angelo. About Puglia addition, even San Benedetto in Brindisi and to name parts of the cathedral of Taranto. Whether the design is a model for similar designs in the cathedral at Pisa, is not clear.

Affairs

Upper Church

Today's upper church is dominated by the spatial impression of the four pillars that support the dome structure. Your design as a square pillar, they received only at the tags in the 12th/13th. Century. Before, they were bricked around massive as it is shown in the lower church yet. In the inner center of the room corners of the pillars of the arch arches columns are set above the base at the beginning. The arcades of the inner walls of the upper floor are worn in the apses of columns with different Kapitellformen, divided in the other walls of pilasters.

Crypt / crypt

The lower church was designed in the collection of false ceiling with twelve pillars supporting it. Because of the square arrangement of the columns - two between the pillars of the upper church supporting massive round pillars and four in the space - the number of five Jochen results in the square. The twelve columns supporting capitals after different types, be art-historically distinguished four. There are mostly simplistic modifications again the Corinthian order, yet the small " forest of columns " is considered a " moody ".

Equipment

The altar of the church was originally a Byzantine sarcophagus.

The altarpiece, the Madonna of Siponto, however, is a copy. The original, an icon, possibly dating from the 6th century, is located in the Cathedral of Manfredonia. The same is true for a sculpture Madonna and Child, a work made ​​of wood of the 12th or 13th century. Also, they can be seen in the Cathedral of Manfredonia.

A in Puglia quite important master Acceptus created in the second half of the 12th century the original Ambo. Only the middle part is obtained. It is located in the Castello Svevo in Bari.