Il Cathedral of Molfetta (Bari) is one of the largest and most evocative churches in the Apulian Romanesque style in the Land of Bari. It dates back to the XNUMXth century but over the years it has undergone changes, evident in the different styles that can be identified in the structure, which have made the building one of the most typical and at the same time most original in the area. There facade faces the sea, in the direction of the Basilica of the Madonna dei Martiri, and is characterized by a sober and imposing style, enriched by three windows arranged in a cross, a rose window and a corbel frame.
We also find you huddled two chapels votives dedicated to Sant'Antonio da Padova and Santa Maria della Carità. The side facade (overlooking the sea) has a motif of blind arches in Moorish style and from this perspective it is easy to admire the three different domes of the church, built in different periods and characterized in fact by equally different styles: the oldest is a square drum, the others have an octagonal drum and a pyramidal roof. The cover of the domes is made of chianchiarelle, typical of the area. Also from this perspective, two bell towers are evident 39 meters high. On the apse facade, on the other hand, a splendid window with oriental motifs is visible.
The side façade of the south is instead accessible by entering from the arch on the right of the church, where we find the oldest portal of the building and from which it is still possible to enter. Inside the church you can admire some elements of particular beauty such as the baptismal font dating back to the XNUMXth century and the ciborium, a gothic canopy in local stone.
A curiosity: inside the church, on the arch in front of the altar, there is a stone tile positioned in such a way as to be illuminated by the sun only on the days of the equinox (you can ask the parish priest directly to indicate it). You can find other technical information on the brochure that can be purchased in the church itself at a cost of € 2 with the texts by Massimo Iannone and Pasquale Modugno and the
I find this church always beautiful to see, but I recommend visit it in the evening if possible because the play of light and shadows that is created makes it very suggestive, a small square is being built in front of the side facade, the one facing the sea, which replaces a parking lot. From this perspective it will finally be possible to admire the church more and accompany the visit to a pleasant walk on the sea complete with a view of the historic center.
I recommend that you go to Molfetta with the bus line Stp and get off at the Corso Dante stop, in front of the Cin Cin Bar, if you can't find it yourself, ask the driver who will be able to easily show you which stop it is. Once you get off you will be a few steps from the Duomo, you can either enter the historic center and walk north-west or turn immediately left along Corso Dante until you see an ice cream parlor, then immediately right, in both cases you can see immediately the Duomo.
