One of the masterpieces of Apulian Romanesque
Surrounded by a sea of olive groves, a short way inland from Bari, Bitonto is called the "city of olive oil", for the quality of its extra virgin olive oil, but its main treasure is the Cathedral of San Valentino, built between the eleventh and thirteenth centuries, considered one of the most perfect examples of Apulian Romanesque, modelled on the Basilica of San Nicola in Bari.
The façade, in pale limestone, is divided into three parts and decorated with a great rose window supported by stone animals, mullioned windows and three portals; the central one has an architrave carved with scenes from the life of Christ and a lunette with the Descent into Limbo. The right side has an elegant gallery of arches, the "matroneo", with slender columns and capitals carved with fantastic animals. Inside, the cathedral holds a masterpiece of medieval sculpture: the ambo of 1229 by the master Nicolaus, a marble pulpit with a famous relief that is believed to show the emperor Frederick II and his family. Under the church, excavations have uncovered an early Christian basilica with a mosaic floor depicting a griffin. The historic centre is full of Renaissance and baroque palaces with fine courtyards.
Tip: the Diocesan Museum and the Galleria Nazionale della Puglia "Girolamo e Rosaria Devanna" are worth a visit; try the local olive oil in one of the mills.
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