PURGATORIO CHURCH – MATERA

Purgatorio Church is a baroque style building placed in Via Ridola in Matera. It is one of the most beautiful churches in town where Catholic and Orthodox rituals are celebrated.

The construction of the Church was carried out between 1725 and 1747 by the engineer Fantone of Andria thanks to funds provided by Purgatorio Confraternity which also gives the name to the church. In baroque style, it is placed in the main streets of the old town.

The church was consacrated in 1756 by Monsignor Antonio Antinori. The frontal façade realized by Vitantonio Buonvino and Bartolomeo Martemucci, shows figures representing death and redemption.

Inside, the church has a Greek Cross, decorated plaster walls, altars and friezes.

On top of the central part there is an octagonal dome laid on a circular drum sustained by columns decorated with Corinthian capitals.

The two lateral altars have paintings of XVII century, while on the main altar there is a canvas depicting St Gaetano and the Virgin Mary. In the higher part, in the apse, there are two temperas on the wall depicting St Eustachio and Madonna della Bruna, Patron saints of the town.

On top of the entrance door, on the wooden choir, there is the pipe organ built by Leonardo Carelli in 1755. It keeps its phonic characteristics unchanged and was restored by Camillo Liguori between XVIII and XIX century and then by Nicola Canosa in 2006.

On the inner walls there are paintings dating back to the second half of XVII century, in particular scenes of the Passion and depictions of St. Antonio from Padova, Madonna del Rosario and St Francesco and Paolo.