WITH THE FREE PATRONAGE OF
CARNEVALE DI PUTIGNANO
CHURCH OF SAN PIETRO APOSTOLO
Putignano a history you don't expect
Church of San Pietro Apostolo (XI Century)
Initially the orientation of the church was the reverse of the current one with the main façade, located on the eastern side. In 1474, under the domination of the Knights of Malta, the church was configured according to its present appearance: the Balì Carafa, created the new facade in Romanesque style, with a large rose window and a finely carved portal in the jambs and in the archivolt.
The interior will also undergo various interventions starting from the 15th century: the side chapels are enriched with refined marble altars and precious statues in polychrome stone, including those of St. Peter and St. Sebastian, works by the greatest sculptor of the Apulian Renaissance. , Stefano da Putignano.
In the following centuries the Baroque decoration overlaps the older furniture: together with the stuccoes, the painted wooden ceiling, the gilded wooden organ with its choir placed above the ante-door, what attracts the attention most is the scenographic arrangement of the Cappellone of the SS. Crucifix, connected to the presbytery by two large lateral stairways.
The high altar (1751), in polychrome marble, rich in relief decorations, is the work of Giovanni Cimafonte, a sculptor belonging to the active workshop of Neapolitan sculptors, Already author in 1747, together with Giuseppe Sanmartino, of the life-size sculptures of the San Giuseppe and San Michele Arcangelo present in the cathedral basilica of Monopoli.
Interesting is the Chapel of the Nativity, frescoed on the side walls and on the vault by paintings from the first half of the 18th century. The chapel is called of the Nativity because it houses a polychrome stone nativity scene: built at the end of the seventeenth century, this valuable artefact takes up the ancient sculptural tradition of polychrome stone nativity scenes, of which the sculptor Stefano da Putignano was the famous master.
The history of the Church of San Pietro Apostolo is written in this plaque placed between the coat of arms of the Balì Giovanni Battista Carafa and that of the University of the then municipality of Putignano, right under the beautiful rose window!
On the tombstone it is written like this:
ANGUSTUM QUONDAM NUNC TEMPLUM CONDIDIT AUCTOR AMPLIUS HOC CIVI CUM PARITER ANGELUS OMNI TEMPORE FERNANDUS REX INVICTISSIMUS ILLO QUO PLACIT TOTUM JUSTE SUBMISERIT ORBEM CUIUS REGIS CARIOR CARRAPHA STIRPE JOHANNUM DOMESTIC TERRITORIAL NUMBER
The architect architect Angelo made this temple larger, which was previously small together with every citizen in the time when Ferdinando Re invittissimo rightly subjected the whole world to which King the illustrious Lord of this land John of the Carafa lineage was very dear. It was the year 1474 when completed (the work) rested!
From this plaque it can be deduced that
1) before this church of San Pietro there was another smaller one, the consecration of which is usually traced back to 1158
2) that the illustrious Bailiff of the Abbey of Santo Stefano Giovanni Battista Carafa, feudal lord of Putignano, as well as being a great friend of the invincible King of the Kingdom of Naples, Ferdinand I of Aragon, was very fond of his Putignano around which a few years earlier he had he had the entire city wall that surrounded it built at his expense to defend it from any enemy attack
3) that the reconstruction of the church of San Pietro with larger dimensions and in keeping with the increased number of Putignanesi was wanted both by the feudal lord of Putignano and also by the Putignanesi through the University
4) that the design and construction management of the church of San Pietro Apostolo as we currently see it is due to an unidentified architect Angelo, certainly commissioned by the aforementioned Bailiff Giovanni Battista Carafa
5) that our master masons and stonemasons had skills and abilities equal to those of all the other builders of basilicas and cathedrals throughout Puglia (Bari, Trani, Bitonto, Ruvo, Conversano, Troia, etc.)
This website project born from the idea of Gianni Musaio is enclosed in a team spirit and is the result of the collaboration of people, ordinary citizens, who care about the historical, cultural, artistic, geographical, food and wine heritage of the historic center of Putignano, a town in to live.
The historic center of a town is the fulcrum of the territory, where ancient stories, traditions and culture of those who preceded us are preserved. You too can contribute to leaving the testimonies of the past to the generations to come, taking care of them.