Oria Cathedral

West front of the cathedral

Oria Cathedral (Italian: Duomo di Oria; Basilica cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta in Cielo) is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Oria, province of Brindisi, Apulia, Italy, dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. It is the episcopal seat of the Diocese of Oria.

History and description

In 1750 the then bishop of Oria demolished the 13th-century Romanesque cathedral that stood previously on the site, which had been left unsafe by the earthquake of February 20, 1743. Two columns from the old church were purchased for 8000 ducats for use in the Capella Reggia of Caserta.

The new church was reconsecrated in 1756. The façade includes a clock tower to the left and a campanile to the right. The dome is covered with polychrome tiles. The interior is richly decorated. The interior of the church has a crypt with niches containing mummified bodies.[1]

In 1992, Pope John Paul II granted the cathedral the status of a minor basilica.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 Comune of Oria, entry on basilica.

Coordinates: 40°29′52″N 17°38′32″E / 40.4977°N 17.6422°E / 40.4977; 17.6422

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