A bridge to Jerusalem
Listed from the 12th century among the possessions of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, the church initially stood outside the city perimeter. With the expansion of the city walls, in 1162, it was incorporated within the city. In the sixteenth century it then passed to the Jerusalem Knights.
Little remains of the portico that stood in front of the church, demolished in the 18th century to make room for the current façade. In the 19th century the bell tower was also demolished.
The sober interior has three naves, punctuated by pointed arches on polystyle pillars and covered by cross vaults, which end in as many apses, visible from the outside.
An octagonal dome opens onto the presbytery.
Various medieval frescoes can be admired, while among the modern age works the large altarpiece with the Madonna of Constantinople, attributed to Donato Bizamano, stands out as well as another panel by a Dalmatian painter depicting San Biagio in the museum set up in the galleries of the basilica.
Outside, next to the church, stands the Colossus and, near the basilica, the ancient Archive of the city.
Photogallery
What to see here
Seggio of the People
The Seggio of the People was the place where the representatives of the people met for the most important administrative matters.
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The panel, preserved in the museum located in the galleries of the church of the Holy Sepulchre, dates back to the first quarter of the 16th century, and depicts San Biagio in a blessing attitude.
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Madonna of Constantinople
The Madonna with Child and angels holding the crown, in the typical iconography of the Madonna of Constantinople, is proof of the presence in Puglia and, specifically, in Barletta of works of oriental, Byzantine style, defined as 'Venetian-Cretan'.
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