Church of Santa Maria Maggiore - Monte Sant'Angelo
Informations
The Church of Santa Maria Maggiore (Monte Sant'Angelo) dates back to the 11th century. The church was built by Leone Garganico, who was the archbishop of Siponto and Monte Sant'Angelo.
Over the centuries it has also undergone renovations.
Considered by some to be the Cathedral of Monte Sant'Angelo, the church is traditionally attributed to the commission of Leone, who projected the memory of the Cathedral of Siponto onto it. During the regency of Constance of Altavilla (1198), the church was renovated following the Romanesque-Swabian model of Capitanata. In the lunette of the portal, occupied by the Madonna and Child, the patron, Priest Benedetto II, and a female figure, identified by some as Empress Constance, are depicted.
The fresco of Saint Francis in Santa Maria Maggiore is among the oldest in the region. It is connected to the legendary visit of the Saint to the cave, according to local tradition, in 1216.
Recently, interesting graffiti have been discovered on the exterior and interior facade. Some depict ships with sails and rowers, clearly alluding to pilgrimage and the Crusades. Others, including the figure of a mitred bishop against the backdrop of a dossal throne, are said to refer to the autonomous aspirations of the Gargano bishopric, which were definitively suppressed in 1203 by a papal bull issued by Pope Innocent III, who was elected in 1198.
Photo Credits: Nikater
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