Lucera Cathedral

Santa Maria Assunta is the Diocese of Lucera - Troia in Apulia Lucera Cathedral and dates in its present form largely from the 14th century. She has the rank of a minor basilica and one of the very rare buildings in Puglia, in which the Gothic style of the then French rulers Puglia shows almost unchanged.

Location and Naming

The church is located in the historic center of Lucera at the named after her small Piazza del Duomo. It has your name on a carved dark wood and gilded statue of the late 14th century. The figure also has the nickname of Madonna della vittoria because it commemorates the victory of the House of Anjou on the Staufer in southern Italy.

Creation and architectural history

The present church stands on the site of an older temple that was converted into a mosque under Emperor Frederick II. This was necessary because of him in the neighboring castle of Lucera from Sicily settled here Saracens adhered to the Islamic faith. From the Saracens Friedrich formed his bodyguard.

After the murder or enslavement of the Saracens in 1300 under Charles II of Anjou, the mosque was destroyed. Charles II gave the order to build at this point the present church, his executive architect was probably Pierre d' Agincourt. The construction was completed by 1317.

In the 16th and 17th century, the church was remodeled in the interior according to the taste of the Baroque; these changes were partially removed in the 19th century. Pope Gregory XVI. elevated the church in 1834 in the rank of Minor Basilica.

Facade

The asymmetrical facade is divided into three parts. Even in the 14th century comes the left and middle part of the facade. It is kept very simple, above the left side of the portal merely breaks through a pointed arch windows, the wall surface, in the center of the upper part of the central facade a large arched window is inserted, a rosette was - rather untypical for large Apulian religious buildings - not inserted. The right part of the facade is formed by a built although later, Romanesque -style tower, in particular because of the mono- and double windows. The attached octagonal lantern comes from only the 16th century. Although the façade is generally rather simple, but its figurative representations on the portals are working quite fine.

Interior and equipment

The interior of the church is an oriented at the French Gothic basilica, it has therefore. Above a Latin cross ground plan of three naves with an increased nave

A clear indication of the hand of the French architect give the pointed arches of the wide central nave as well as the pillars on which to rest it. The pillars of the featured half-columns are still ancient origins. The high walls of the nave are only broken by very small lancet windows.

The transept is of considerable depth, lancet also find use in the choir. After that, the church is decorated with three apses in the east part. The figure of the saint is located at the altar of the left Querhausarms.

Of particular attention are the frescoes in the left apse of the 15th century, as well as equipping the right apse. It contains a document emanating from the Rhineland crucifix from the 14th century, around 1340 created, as well as a grave monument of a French knight, also from the 14th century.

The pulpit dates from 1560.

From art and allgemeingeschichtlichem interest is the stone table, which constitutes the main altar today. The plate as well as carrying them octagonal cased by different capitals columns were originally a table at Castel Fiorentino, in the Emperor Frederick II in 1250 died.