Acquaviva Cathedral, Co-cathedral in Acquaviva delle Fonti, Italy
Acquaviva Cathedral is a Romanesque co-cathedral in Acquaviva delle Fonti, Apulia, built on a Latin cross plan with three naves. Fourteen marble columns line the interior, and a Renaissance rose window decorates the facade, while a crypt sits beneath the main floor.
Construction began in 1529 under the feudal lord Giovanni Antonio Donato Acquaviva and was finished in 1594 under Alberto Acquaviva. The building took more than sixty years to complete, which is why Romanesque and Renaissance elements appear side by side.
The cathedral holds the status of a palatine church, meaning it once answered directly to a ruling family rather than to regular church authorities. This connection to noble ownership gives the building a formal character that sets it apart from an ordinary parish church.
The cathedral sits in the center of Acquaviva delle Fonti and is easy to reach on foot from the main square. Since there are two levels to visit, the main nave and the crypt below, leaving enough time to see both is a good idea.
In 1859, King Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies made a stop specifically at the cathedral's crypt during a journey to Bari. For a small inland town in Apulia, receiving a reigning monarch was an uncommon event.
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