Chiesa Matrice

It is located in the heart of the old Polignano a Mare, in Piazza Vittorio Emanuele, just a stone’s throw from the Santo Stefano B&B.

Before this there is a paved open space and surrounded by solid bars on which the left side stands the tower which is divided into three sections: the first is adorned with pillars and stones, the second is smooth and the third has different windows for venting of four bells.

The main door of the church in 1628 was decorated with carvings in hard stone, two recesses and a statue of the Blessed Virgin of the Assumption. The two side niches, the two stone statues of St. Peter and St. Mark's were produced in 1824. The rest of the facade is smooth.

The church was consecrated to the Blessed Virgin of the Assumption in 1295 under Bishop William. In it you enter through a wooden antidoor below the famous organ of twelve registers built in 1759.

The church, mixed with Baroque and Renaissance, has three naves with six Doric columns and arches: the middle one, pointed arch, is larger, the two side ones to real sixths are smaller. On the whole you can admire the pulpit behind which lies a statue of St. Vitus, patron of Polignano. The temple vault in the two small aisles is stone, while the larger is in the middle of panels painted with the picture of the Assumption, the work of 1720 by Luca Alves. In the small aisle is the font with various colours of marble pyramid was built in 1776.

In the church there are some important works of the sculptor Stefano Pugliese, a native of Putignano including the marble statue of the Madonna, which was declared a national monument, the Passion and the most valuable Crib aisle.

At the side is the small door that has the exit into the road in S. Benedetto. The three naves of the church described are followed by another portion that forms the cross where the ceiling welcomes three paintings of St. Vito, S. Modesto, S. Crescenza. In the right aisle is a marble staircase leading to the chapel of St. Vito.

The dates relating to the foundation of the Chiesa Matrice are uncertain, however we know that the first bishopric of our church, already in existence, dates back to the fifth century.