Cathedral of San Gerardo, Potenza

The Cathedral of San Gerardo is the cathedral of Potenza, dedicated to the city’s patron saint and to Santa Maria Assunta. It stands in Largo Duomo, in the eastern part of the historic centre, not far from the Torre Guevara.

History

According to tradition, a first church dedicated to the Virgin stood here as early as the 5th-6th century. Between the late 12th and early 13th century, under bishop Bartolomeo, a new church dedicated to San Gerardo, bishop of Potenza who died in 1119, was built. The imposing five-storey stone bell tower survives from that era. The current building was rebuilt between 1783 and 1799 in neoclassical style to a design by Antonio Magri, a pupil of Luigi Vanvitelli, and restored several times after earthquakes and the bombing of 1943.

What to see

• The neoclassical façade, with its staircase and the medieval bell tower.
• The bronze doors, made in 1968 by Giuseppe Niglia.
• The painted ceiling by Mario Prayer, 1933-1934, with scenes from the Old and New Testament, and the frescoes of the dome showing the procession of San Gerardo.
• The chapel of San Gerardo, with the 15th-century reliquary bust and the saint’s relics.
• The crypt beneath the high altar, with remains of a mosaic floor from the earlier churches.

The festival

On the evening of 29 May the Parata dei Turchi (Parade of the Turks) takes place, the great historical procession that commemorates the legendary defence of the city by San Gerardo; on 30 May the saint’s procession is held.

Useful information

• It is a church open for worship: visit quietly and dress appropriately.
• From the cathedral you can reach Torre Guevara and via Pretoria on foot.