Things to see · Churches and sanctuaries
Mother Church of Santa Maria Maggiore, Miglionico
Miglionico (Matera)
Mother Church of Santa Maria Maggiore, Miglionico is in Miglionico, province of Matera. Opening hours: Open for worship; outside services it may be closed: check with the parish. Admission: Free entry.
- Free entry.
- Open for worship; outside services it may be closed: check with the parish.
About this place
The Mother Church of Santa Maria Maggiore is the main church of Miglionico, with a Romanesque bell tower. It houses one of the masterpieces of the Venetian Renaissance preserved in southern Italy: the polyptych by Cima da Conegliano.
The polyptych
It was painted in 1499 by Giovanni Battista Cima da Conegliano and is made up of eighteen panels on a gold background. At the centre is the Madonna enthroned with the Child, flanked by Saint Francis, Saint Jerome, Saint Peter and Saint Anthony of Padua. Above, in half-length figures, are Saint Clare, Saint Louis of Toulouse, Saint Bernardino of Siena and Saint Catherine of Alexandria. At the top are Christ and the Annunciation. The polyptych was originally in a Franciscan convent in Veneto. It was bought in 1598 by Archbishop Marcantonio Mazzone and came to this church in the 18th century.
What to see
• The polyptych by Cima da Conegliano.
• The wooden Crucifix by Friar Umile da Petralia, dated 1629.
• The Baroque organ and the 16th- and 17th-century canvases.
Useful information
• It is a church still used for worship, so visit quietly and outside of services.
• To see the polyptych at your leisure, it is best to check with the parish office in advance.
• A few steps away is the Malconsiglio Castle.
