Cathedral of Trani

The Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta, also known as the Cattedrale di Trani, is one of the most extraordinary examples of Apulian Romanesque architecture. Set in a dramatic location overlooking the sea, it was built between the late 11th and 13th centuries, on the site of an earlier early Christian building. Constructed from local limestone, its luminous façade is adorned with an elegant rose window and a bronze portal created by Barisano da Trani in 1175. 

The building is further enhanced by an imposing 14th-century bell tower and a pointed arch connecting it to the nave — a rare architectural solution for the period. The interior, divided into three aisles, preserves precious medieval features, including the crypts of San Nicola Pellegrino and Santa Maria, and the hypogeum of San Leucio. Fragments of mosaics and frescoes hint at the building's former splendour.

Today, the cathedral stands as a symbol of the town and an essential stop for anyone visiting Trani, where art, spirituality and the timeless allure of the sea come together.