Chiesa di Santa Maria del Casale
About
| NAME | Chiesa di Santa Maria del Casale |
| LOCATION | Via Ruggero de Simone |
| Dating | end of the 13th century |
| OPENING HOURS | daily opening 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. |
Description
St. Maria del Casale in Brindisi is one of the most illustrious churches of the city and marks the twilight of Romanesque art and the birth of Gothic art. The place of worship was built in 1284 by the Prince of Taranto Filippo I and his wife Caterina, on the ruins of a chapel in honour of St. Francis from Assisi who stopped right here, on the way back of a journey to the Holy Land.
The church of Saint Mary of Casale has been declared a national monument since 1875.
It owns an elegant façade which makes the building unique thanks to the combination of the white stone of Carovigno (a little village in the province of Brindisi) with the local tuff: a variation of colours that creates light shows, zig zag, herringbone or chessboard drawings.
The inside of the church is adorned by a series of magnificent 1300 paintings (Last Judgement, Cross Tree, Feet Lavender, Last Dinner...), works by Rinaldo from Taranto and others. Next to the place of worship there is the refined cloister with an arcade built around late 1500 by the observant minor monks.
Curiosities
the church of Saint Mary of Casale was the seat of the headquarters of the Templar’s trial of the kingdom of Sicily in 1310, fallen in misfortune for their power and persecuted by the king of France Filippo II the Fair, hungry for their riches. The indictments were 127, starting from the terrible ones of heresy and immorality, supported by the whole system of justice of the kingdom of Naples. They were sentenced in contumacy, they were enchained and tortured in the subterranean of Barletta’s Castle. Their master Jacques de Molay, who four years later rose up against his life sentence, was burned to death. This was the end for the legendary knights with a white cloak and a red cross on the chest.
What to find in the area
The airport
Where to take photos
Inside and outside church, cloister
