Things to see · Churches and sanctuaries
Mother Church of Santa Maria della Croce, Ferrandina
Ferrandina (Matera)
Mother Church of Santa Maria della Croce, Ferrandina is in Ferrandina, province of Matera. Opening hours: Open for worship; outside services it may be closed: check with the parish. Admission: Free.
- Free.
- Open for worship; outside services it may be closed: check with the parish.
About this place
The Mother Church of Santa Maria della Croce is the most important church in Ferrandina and overlooks the large Piazza Plebiscito. Construction began in 1490, in the same years the town was founded.
History
Ferrandina was founded at the end of the 15th century at the wish of Federico d’Aragona, who moved the inhabitants of the nearby village of Uggiano, which had been hit by an earthquake, to the new town and named it after his father, King Ferrante. The Mother Church was built together with the new town and remodelled at the end of the 18th century.
What to see
• The three portals from the 16th century and the three domes in Byzantine style.
• The Madonna with Child, a statue from 1530.
• The gilded statues of Federico d’Aragona and his wife Isabella Del Balzo, attributed to Altobello Persio.
• The works of the Neapolitan school that decorate the interior.
Useful information
• It is an active place of worship: visit quietly and dress appropriately.
• A few steps away are the church of San Domenico and the church of Santa Chiara; outside the town, the ruins of the Uggiano Castle.
