Bernalda
| Bernalda | |
|---|---|
| Comune | |
| Comune di Bernalda | |
|
Castle of Bernalda | |
  Bernalda Location of Bernalda in Italy | |
| Coordinates: 40°25′N 16°41′E / 40.417°N 16.683°ECoordinates: 40°25′N 16°41′E / 40.417°N 16.683°E | |
| Country | Italy |
| Region | Basilicata |
| Province / Metropolitan city | Matera (MT) |
| Frazioni | Metaponto, Serra Marina, Spineto |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Domenico Raffaele Tataranno |
| Area | |
| • Total | 126.19 km2 (48.72 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 127 m (417 ft) |
| Population (31 December 2015) | |
| • Total | 12,453 |
| • Density | 99/km2 (260/sq mi) |
| Demonym(s) | Bernaldesi |
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) |
| • Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) |
| Postal code | 75012 |
| Dialing code | 0835 |
| Patron saint | St. Bernardino of Siena |
| Saint day | 20 May, 23 August |
| Website | Official website |
Bernalda is a town and comune in the province of Matera, in the Southern Italian region of Basilicata. The frazione of Metaponto is the site of the ancient city of Metapontum.
Until the 15th century, it was called Camarda. It is home to a castle built in the 15th century during the Aragonese rule in the Kingdom of Naples.
The patron Saint of Bernalda is Saint Bernardino of Siena. The celebration of Saint Bernardino is on 20 May and on 23 August.
Main sights
Religious buildings
- Mother Church, built in the 1530s by Bernardino de Bernaudo. Originally the church was very small with only one nave. During the XVII, the church was built up with a second nave. In the church there were: a cemetery for priests under the choir, and a second cemetery, near the baptisimal font, for children who died within the seventh year of life. The church was refurbished in the 1950s, 1960s and 2000s.
- Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel: this church was subject to at least two or three refurbishiments and amplifications, before obtaining the current appearance. In 1678 the church was received an altar with the image of the Our Lady of Mount Carmel painted on the wall. In the second half of the 19th century, it was enlarged to accommodate the statues and a big wooden 17th-century crucifix.
- Convent Church. The Convent of St. Antonio from Padova, with the attached church, was founded in 1616. At the time of the titling of the church, two factions arranged among the observants: a part that wanted to dedicate the church to the Immaculate, the other one to St. Antonio from Padova. The fate chose St. Antonio. The current front of the church was built in the 19th century. After the Italian unification many properties, often of historical importance and owned by the Ecclesiastical Fund, became state assets. So that the monks made over their convent to the Municipal offices. In the right nave is located the 19th-century crucifix.
Other sights
The castle was probably built by the Normans in the 11th century and restored by the Aragonese during their domination, when it was enlarged, fortified and protected with a moat and a drawbridge. On the west side there is a thin square tower considered more ancient than the other towers of round shape. The façade of the Castle that overlooks the Mother Church is the result of a later restoration.
Palaces include:
- Palazzo Margherita
- Palazzo Dell'Osso
- Palazzo Fischetti
- Palazzo Lacava
- Palazzo Guida
- Palazzo Appio
People
- Francis Ford Coppola, American film director
- Nicolas Cage (born Nicholas Kim Coppola), American actor, nephew of Francis Ford Coppola
- Talia Shire, American actress, sister of Francis Ford Coppola
- Sofia Coppola, American film director, daughter of Francis Ford Coppola
Twin towns – sister cities
Bernalda is twinned with:
L'Aquila, Italy- Siena, Italy
- Massa Marittima, Italy
- Mirabella Eclano, Italy
- Venosa, Italy
External links
- Back to Bernalda by Francis Ford Coppola, T (International Herald Tribune Style Magazine), 8 December 2012
- Coppola talks about Bernalda, The New York Times, 9 March 2009
- Inside the lavish Italian palazzo owned by Godfather director Francis Ford Coppola, Daily Mail, 23 April 2014