The Basilica of Saint Nicholas
Last post I told you about the imposing Basilica of Saint Nicholas and how its exteriors fully reflect the architectural styles of the time: the Apulia's Romanesque architecture.
The Basilica of Saint Nicholas
But the simple exterior hides some surprises with its very interesting interior.
And that's what I will speak in this post.
The main aisle
Once they enter the Basilica, all tourists and faithful have to do is look up to enjoy the wooden ceiling of the church: it is rich of frescos and pictures and it is really quite impossible not to remain enchanted to admire so much artistic shine.
The wooden ceiling
The wooden ceiling
The church has a cruciform groundplan and is divided longitudinally into three naves by columns and pillars in the form of the so-called Latin Tau Cross.
The interior transverse arches
The interior transverse arches
The Basilica’s Chapel of the Relics is on the right side when entering the church; it houses the relics of various Saints as well as a collection of chalices lamps, liturgical instruments and vestments, crosses and icons.
The Basilica’s Chapel of the Relics
The Basilica’s Chapel of the Relics
The end of the main aisle features an imposing altar which is surmounted by what is thought to be the oldest ciborium in Apulia, dating back to 1150 AD.
The main aisle with the high altar
The high altar of the Basilica
The high altar of the Basilica
The wooden pulpit
In a raised position above the floor on the pillars of the right nave, a beautiful wooden pulpit is located. It was painted in 1655 and amongst diverse valuable paintings, it contains depictions of the Immaculate Conception, St. Anthony, St. Christopher and St. Nicholas.
The wooden pulpit
The wooden pulpit
The wooden pulpit
The wooden pulpit
In the apse to the right of the main Altar, you can admire frescos painting of 14th century.
Frescos painting in the right apse
In the right transept there is the Silver Altar dating back to 1319; it was donated to the Basilica by the Czar of Serbia in order to cover Saint Nicholas grave in the crypt.
The Silver Altar
In the left aisle it is placed a large statue of Saint Nicholas which is also used by the faithful as offertory; it's also a place in which prayers are addressed to the Saint.
The statue of Saint Nicholas
It is a church worth visiting, because there are so many artwork to discover..
Artwork on the wall of the left nave
Two marble staircases in the lateral naves lead down to the crypt, but I'll tell you about that on the next post!
All photos taken by me. Some photos contain some Lightroom post processing. All rights reserved.
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