The Cathedral is dedicated to a relic that emerged from the wreckage of a ship in 1117. As was often the case, the first church was erected near the site of a pagan temple dedicated to Mercury. Work began on this site in 1107, but through a series of unfortunate events including sieges, and the resultant damage, and the lack of roof beams, construction was halted; according to the legend, because of the lack of roof beams. A miracle occurred on the night of December 16, 1117, when a raft carrying an icon of the Madonna drifted into the harbor. The beams from the raft were used to construct the roof. It took until 1442 to complete the Romanesque structure. Two of the three bell-towers were damaged during the siege of the Marquis Del Vasto in 1528. The remaining tower collapsed in 1686, killing forty townspeople. By 1693, a new campanile had been erected. The Baroque structure you see today was constructed in the mid 1700’s. In 1738, an endowment by Bishop Giulio Sacchi called for a refurbishment. The old church was razed, and a new church begun in 1742. Work was completed in Baroque style in 1772. In 1921, the cathedral was declared a minor basilica. In 1986, the dioceses of Monopoli and Conversano were joined, making this a co-cathedral. The inside it's amazing. There is a beautiful main altar, and several significant side chapels. The walls and ceilings are richly decorated. The marble interiors from 1900’s have embellished it, but not all of it is real. As you enter you will see the Chapel of the Beams. Panels tell the story of the construction of the cathedral and the dream of Mercury, a Monopolitan who dreamed that the beams needed to cover the cathedral would arrive from the sea. The raised chapel in the apse which houses the Byzantine Madonna and the double transept, is unique.

While the bell tower is the town's tallest structure seen from everywhere, the Basilica is packed in old town tiny streets on a small square. Like I witnessed in many places in southern Italy and Sicily, a pretty modest and simple exterior hides spectacular interiors. That's also the case here, in this Baroque Basilica in old town Monopoli - amazing marble art inside with a beautiful altar.

We took a one-day trip in Monopoli and wanted to visit the main attraction of the town. The Basilica is located in the amazing Old Town, so we found it easily. It was built between 1742-1772 in Baroque style. We read in reviews that „a pretty modest and simple exterior hides spectacular interiors” we wanted to see it. Unfortunatelly it was under renovation, it was closed. We were a bit dissapointed but the town and Puglia is so faboluos, we decided to return in the future.