A gigantic Romanesque cathedral in a small village at 800 metres
On a steep hill at about 830 metres, overlooking the valley of the Bradano, the small village of Acerenza, one of the "Borghi più belli d'Italia", preserves a monument that seems almost out of proportion to its size: the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta and San Canio, one of the largest and most important Romanesque churches in southern Italy. Acerenza was in the Middle Ages the seat of a powerful archbishopric, and the cathedral was built from the eleventh century, under the Normans, and completed in the following centuries. Its architecture is unique in the region because it shows the influence of the great French Romanesque pilgrimage churches, with an ambulatory around the apse and radiating chapels, an exceptional feature in southern Italy, probably due to the Benedictine monks who came from France with the Normans.
The façade, with a portal decorated with sculptures, and the massive bell tower, rebuilt in the sixteenth century, dominate the village. On the outside walls, ancient stones and inscriptions are reused, and according to tradition a bust embedded in the façade depicts the Roman emperor Julian the Apostate, venerated for a long time as if it were the patron saint, Saint Canius. The interior, majestic and austere, in Latin cross, preserves the Renaissance crypt of 1524, commissioned by the Ferrillo family, decorated with frescoes and marble sculptures, and works of art. From the terraces of the village, the view sweeps over the hills of Lucania and the Vulture. The Museo Diocesano displays the treasure of the cathedral.
Tip: walk around the outside of the apse to see the radiating chapels; visit the Renaissance crypt.
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