The Church of Santa Maria Maggiore in Maratea is one of the main religious buildings in this village in Basilicata, with origins dating back to the 15th century. A plaque inside the church commemorates the construction of the present building in 1505 by Mercurio Greco, whilst the original church had already been elevated to parish status in 1434.
The building retains a Romanesque layout and has an unusual feature: it does not have a proper main façade, but instead opens onto a small triangular square from one side. On this side stands an elegant Baroque stucco portal, flanked by two praying marble angels dating from the 16th century.
The bell tower is one of the most distinctive features: it rests on a square Romanesque base and rises as an octagonal structure, culminating in a pointed dome that gives the entire complex a soaring appearance.
Inside, the chancel houses a refined wooden choir loft, hand-carved and completed in 1729 by Marco De Sanctis. There are also numerous furnishings and fittings in 16th-century white marble. Among the most significant works is the statuette of the Assumption of the Virgin, known as the Madonna degli Angeli, depicted surrounded by a host of little cherubs.
As a whole, the church represents a harmonious blend of Romanesque and Baroque elements, preserving artistic and devotional artefacts that recount the long religious history of Maratea.
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