Rapolla Cathedral () is a

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

cathedral A cathedral is a church (building), church that contains the of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, Annual conferences within Methodism, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually s ...

in the town of

Rapolla Rapolla is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Potenza, in the Southern Italian region of Basilicata. It is bounded by the comuni of Barile, Lavello, Melfi, Rionero in Vulture, Venosa Venosa (Neapolitan language, Lucano: ) is a town an ...

, province of Potenza, region of

Basilicata Basilicata (, ; ), also known by its ancient name Lucania (, , ), is an administrative region in Southern Italy, bordering on Campania to the west, Apulia to the north and east, and Calabria to the south. It has two coastlines: a 30-kilometr ...

, Italy. The dedication is to Saint Michael the Archangel. Formerly the episcopal seat of the

Diocese of Rapolla The Catholic Diocese of Rapolla, in Basilicata, existed from the eleventh century until 1528. In that year it was united with the diocese of Melfi, to form the diocese of Melfi e Rapolla.Diocese of Melfi-Rapolla-Venosa.

History and description

The structure was erected in a Romanesque style in 1209 on the site of a paleochristian building, possibly occupying the site of a pagan temple. The belltower was designed by Sarolo di Muro Lucano. Rebuilt a few decades later in 1253, by Melchiorre da Montalbano, it has survived in this earthquake-prone region. The interior with three naves, separated by columns and arches, houses a 16th-century crucifix with bas-reliefs depicting ''Adam and Eve'' and the ''Annunciation'' by Sarolo da Muro Lucano. The apse also has a 13th-century carved polychrome wooden crucifix.Tourism Promotion Agency of Basilicata

References

{{coord, 40.9775, N, 15.6769, E, source:wikidata, display=title Roman Catholic cathedrals in Italy Cathedrals in Basilicata Romanesque architecture in Basilicata Churches in the province of Potenza