Cattedrale Maria Santissima della Madia

This is a really beautiful church in the historic center of Monopoli. It is by far the most beautiful church in this region.

It’s definitely worth visiting on the inside as the decor is stunning.

very beautiful, the incredible marble artwork all over the place

Really gorgeous cathedral in rococo style with unusual second altar on the first floor and minor chapels on the two sides

Definitely worth a visit. Really beautiful interior and very peaceful place

Amazing surprise, a majestic cathedral hidden in the tiny streets of the old town. Beautiful interior with red marble stone cover. Special place of the tabernacle is located behind and above the altar where you can approach with a staircase. A true hidden gem.

Very reach church. Recomend to visit. They have a copy of Maria Królowa Polski from Jasna Góra. Some small police accent in Puglia.

This Cathedral was built from 1740 to 1770 on a site which had been previously used by man for at least 4000 years. In fact, in the Bronze Age, some huts were built in this same place. Then, 2500 years ago, the first tombs of the Necropolis of a Messapian* town were built. From that time this place became sacred and stayed sacred even when the main religion changed, from Paganism to Christianity. Originally, a Pagan temple was located on the site; in 256 A.D. a Christian church was built instead. In 1107, Bishop Romualdo started the construction of a Romanesque church. According to the tradition, the church could not come to completation because there was not enough wood to build the roof. In 1117 the wooden beams arrived at the seaport in the form of a raft which carried the Byzantine Icon of Our Lady with Child. In 1742 the Romanesque church was demolished because it was unsafe and too small for the increasing population. Therefore, the new Baroque church was built. it preserves the Byzantine Icon that arrived to the seaport, in 1117, on a raft. The altar was built with precious marbles that came from different quarries. The Neapolitan Andrea de Blasio made the silver frame and the silver imperial crown in 1720 and 1724. Around the chapel you can see six paintings made by Michele del Pezzo in 1798. The pictorial series called "The Virgin's Stories" includes "The Purifying of the Virgin", "The Visitation", "The Introduction to the Temple" and the ovals "The Nativity of the Virgin" and "The Nativity of Jesus". On the sides of the chapel there are two other paintings made by The Neapolitan Pietro Bardellino in 1788: "The Iconoclast campaign" on the right (*) and "The Arrival at the Seaport" on the left. The two statues on the sides of the altar represent the Archangel Michael and St. Joseph; they were made in 1752 by Giuseppe Sammartino, better known for his "Veiled Christ" (Sansevero Chapel, Naples). The little organ was built in 1762 by Pietro de Simone (junior).