Acerenza

Listed among the “most beautiful villages in Italy”, Acerenza is known as the “Cathedral City” due to the imposing size of its temple which majestically dominates the entire town. Its origins blend together Roman, Norman and Renaissance influences, making the historic center an authentic open-air museum.

The beating heart of the village is undoubtedly the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta and San Canio (built between the 11th and 13th centuries), one of the most important and fascinating Romanesque-Cluniac monuments in Southern Italy. Inside, in addition to the monumental apse and the three imposing naves, there is a splendid Renaissance crypt from 1524, entirely frescoed by Giovanni Todisco, and the magnificent sixteenth-century polyptych signed by Antonio Stabile (1583). Among the numerous sculptural details, the baroque stone altar and the valuable eighteenth-century canvas by Filippo Donzelli which depicts the martyrdom of San Laviero stand out.

Walking through the elegant alleys, the ancient Church of San Laviero Martire (dating back to 1065), dedicated to the city’s patron saint, and the Church of the Annunziata are also worth a stop.

Also of great interest is the Franciscan Convent, built in the second half of the 16th century, which today houses the Museum of Carved Wood. This precious collection displays peasant-inspired sculptures created by the brothers Giuseppe and Giovanni Di Trani. Finally, the Diocesan Museum, located in the former site of the old seminary, houses ancient liturgical treasures and works coming from the Cathedral itself.

Acerenza is an unmissable destination for those looking for a perfect combination of spirituality, precious art and thousand-year-old architecture capable of surprising from every perspective.