{"id":309788,"date":"2024-08-09T21:45:22","date_gmt":"2024-08-09T19:45:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.e-borghi.com\/what-to-see\/montescaglioso-mother-church-2\/"},"modified":"2026-04-16T10:24:36","modified_gmt":"2026-04-16T08:24:36","slug":"montescaglioso-mother-church","status":"publish","type":"what-to-see","link":"https:\/\/www.e-borghi.com\/en\/what-to-see\/montescaglioso-mother-church\/","title":{"rendered":"Mother Church of Montescaglioso"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The Mother Church of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.e-borghi.com\/en\/village\/montescaglioso\/\"><strong>Montescaglioso<\/strong><\/a>, dedicated to Saints Peter and Paul, is the village\u2019s principal religious building and one of the most significant examples of late Baroque architecture in the area.<\/p>\n<p>No trace remains of the original medieval structure: the present building was in fact completely rebuilt from 1776 onwards, taking on the elegant and monumental appearance that still characterises it today.<\/p>\n<p>Access is via a large portal leading into a spacious and solemn interior, divided into three naves. The heart of the church is the imposing Baroque high altar, flanked by an elegant marble balustrade, donated by the Chapter of Siena during the Napoleonic era. The side altars, crafted from polychrome marble, also contribute to creating a visually striking ensemble.<\/p>\n<p>Particularly striking is the dome of the chancel, decorated with stucco high-reliefs depicting the four evangelists, which lend depth and movement to the sacred space.<\/p>\n<p>The artistic heritage housed within is of great significance. In the side aisles are four paintings attributed to Mattia Preti \u2014 including The Wedding at Cana, The Supper at Levi\u2019s House, The Adoration of the Magi and The Nativity \u2014 purchased in Naples and donated to the church in the early 19th century by Marquis Ferdinando Cattaneo. These are accompanied by works by Giovanni Donadio, an artist of the Venetian school.<\/p>\n<p>The furnishings are completed by a late 18th-century organ, originating from the Benedictine nunnery, and an early 19th-century wooden choir loft, decorated and painted with the town\u2019s coat of arms. Also of note are the finely carved holy water fonts in inlaid polychrome marble.<\/p>\n<p>Of particular historical interest are the baptismal font and the washbasin, originating from the Benedictine Abbey of San Michele Arcangelo, and a small 15th-century painting depicting the Madonna and Child, preserved in the sacristy.<\/p>\n<p>Today, the Mother Church of Montescaglioso is a place where art, history and devotion blend harmoniously, offering visitors an experience rich in atmosphere and testimonies of the past.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Discover the Mother Church of Montescaglioso, a Baroque masterpiece with three naves, works attributed to Mattia Preti and rich sacred furnishings.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":236791,"template":"","village-conntection":[50860],"what-to-see-region-and-provinces":[76403,76404],"what-to-see-category":[30159],"class_list":["post-309788","what-to-see","type-what-to-see","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","village-conntection-montescaglioso-it","what-to-see-region-and-provinces-basilicata-en","what-to-see-region-and-provinces-matera-en","what-to-see-category-place-of-cult"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.e-borghi.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/what-to-see\/309788","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.e-borghi.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/what-to-see"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.e-borghi.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/what-to-see"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.e-borghi.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/what-to-see\/309788\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.e-borghi.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/236791"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.e-borghi.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=309788"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"village-conntection","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.e-borghi.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/village-conntection?post=309788"},{"taxonomy":"what-to-see-region-and-provinces","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.e-borghi.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/what-to-see-region-and-provinces?post=309788"},{"taxonomy":"what-to-see-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.e-borghi.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/what-to-see-category?post=309788"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}