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OTRANTO (WITH LUNCH) CATTEDRALE DI SANTA MARIA ANNUNCIATA
Link to the Magnificent Cathedrals of Puglia The Wagon Wheel Rose Windows of Puglia's Cathedrals Map and summary notes on Puglia Cathedrals
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Otranto's exposed location as the most southerly port on Italy's East Coast has assured it of an eventful and at times very bloody history. At one stage (1480) the entire population was massacred by the Turks (their bones can be found in the Cattedrale), then the town was recaptured by Spanish forces a year later. Today it is a relaxed little holiday port town - filled with oiled brown Italians in the really hot months and red Germans to either side of these - and an Australian in November. The old town is on a steep hill at the inside edge of the harbour, and at the top of the hill is the southernmost of Puglia's Medieval Norman Cathedrals - the Cattedrale di Santa Maria Annunciata.
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The Cattedrale was consecrated in 1088, and by 1165 the entire floor area was covered with fascinating mosaics (tied in to a tree of life) most of which are still there and can be seen up close thanks to the fact that "cultural" tourist traffic through this part of Italy is minimal. The mosaics depict biblical characters (including Adam and Eve, below), warrior kings (including Alexander (below) and, unexpectedly, King Arthur), medieval beasts, pictorial representations of the working activities of each month and the associated Zodiac sign of the month, the building of the Tower of Babel and other activities. Truly amazing works which emerged enhanced from a lengthy restoration in the early 1990s.
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Crossing
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EVE AND ADAM
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And a pendulous bicaudal Mermaid (link to more Mermaids)
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LINK TO MOSAICS SHOWING LABOURS OF THE MONTH AND CORRESPONDING ZODIAC SIGNS |
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September - Virgo - Treading grapes whilst Virgo's virgin looks on. In the top right of the photo you can see one end of Libra's scales.
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More photos of labours of the month and Zodiac sign mosaics in Otranto Cattedrale
Link to Paradoxplace page on Zodiacs and Labours of the Month in the Medieval Churches of Euope |
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The Queen of Saba (sic)
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King Alexander
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King Arthur (postcard)
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Workers
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Building the Tower of Babel
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The beautiful crypt predates the Norman church (a common occurence in the old Puglian Cattedrali) and the little capital below is 1400 years old or more. The light is so bad in the corner that you can hardly see the capital below, but the Dom felt it was so priceless that it merited a bit of Abobying, even if the focus is not up to our normal standards! The book is another wonderful Italian coffee table job. |
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The monthly activity / Zodiac roundels are just to the west of the crossing.
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At the moment (early 2008) there don't seem to be any copies of this magnificent hard cover art book available at Amazon. One option would be to contact the Cattedrale directly (in Italian!):
Piazza Basilica, 1, Otranto, Lecce 73028 - Italy Phone: +39 (0)836 802720
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Well, after all that excitement, a good slow lunch seemed the right thing to do, and close to the Cattedrale (just wander up the Via Cenobio Basiliano and hang a right) we found Massimo Panareo's Ristorante Vico Lopez.
Link to a Fine Seafood Lunch at next door Ristorante Vico Lopez di Massimo Panareo
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For other Paradoxplace links visit the home page
All original material © Adrian Fletcher 2000-09 - The contents may not be hotlinked, or reproduced without permission.
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