Acerenza

Acerenza crowns a rocky plateau between the Bradano and its tributary the Fiumarella. Its great cathedral rises above the town, the seat of an archbishop whose authority extended across much of Basilicata. The church was begun in the Norman age and became the enduring centre of this hilltop settlement.

An earthquake damaged the cathedral in 1456. After the Ferrillo family acquired Acerenza in 1479, Giacomo Alfonso Ferrillo and his wife Maria Balsa supported its restoration. Around 1524 they endowed a new crypt beneath the high altar, adorned with classical details and painted decoration. Columns and pilasters divide the small space beneath its vaulted ceiling. Their work gave the medieval church a Renaissance addition while preserving its place at the heart of the town.