Castellaneta Cathedral

The Cathedral of Matera was built between 1230 and 1270, with stones extracted from the nearby quarries of Vaglia. It has kept its original Pugliese Romanesque style. It mixes Norman, Lombard and slightly oriental influences. The interior was refurbished in the 16th and 17th centuries with a Baroque touch.

The Church of Saints Peter and Paul, commonly known as the Church of San Pietro Caveoso, dates back to the end of the 13th century. The building has undergone modifications and renovations over the centuries, with the loss of many of its original construction features. In the 17th century, the church was completely renovated with the addition of the current façade and the construction of the bell tower, while the interior was enlarged with the addition of side chapels and the replacement of the original wooden ceiling with a tufa roof. In 1706, the church was reconsecrated, as a plaque indicates, and it was further modified: the bell tower cornice was added, the interior was covered with stuccoes and decorations and a false wooden ceiling was placed under the tuff roof.

The existence of the Cathedral of Taranto was confirmed in the 7th century, but it was probably demolished to make way for a new cathedral in the 11th century. However, the old construction was not completely replaced: the longitudinal arm, enlarged and lowered, incorporated the nave with the deep apse of the Byzantine church, which remained unchanged; the altar was placed under the dome and the old nave became the transept, which was then cut off from the side naves, leaving a series of small columns that decorated the old construction. In 1713 the Baroque façade was added, the work of the Lecce architect Mauro Manieri.