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The abbey of Santa Maria di Cerrate, is one of the most significant examples of Apulian Romanesque, a culture that developed in Puglia between the eleventh and first half of the thirteenth century, especially in architecture, sculpture and in the art of mosaic.
The main cultural component of this architecture is Nordic and linked to the Normans. The sculpture also has a Norman component linked to northern Europe. An important example of the cultural context of the Apulian Romanesque style is the exquisite mosaic of the Cathedral of Otranto with themes related to the Vikings and the Arthurian cycle.
The abbey was founded, according to legend, at the end of the XII century by Tancredi d’Altavilla, count of Lecce, son of Roberto il Guiscardo. Legend has it that in this place in Tancredi the Madonna appeared, among the horns of a deer, from which the toponym Cerrate or Cervate.
Built near the Roman road that linked Brindisi with Lecce and Otranto, over time the Abbey became one of the most important monastic centers in southern Italy: in 1531, passing under the control of the Incurabili hospital in Naples, the complex includes , in addition to the church, stables, housing for farmers, a well, a mill and two underground oil mills.
The town was an important religious and cultural center until the sixteenth century, later transformed into a farm. In 1711 the abbey was sacked by Turkish pirates and fell into a state of neglect, which continued until the 1965 restoration carried out by the Province of Lecce.
The interior has three naves and is covered by a ceiling made up of beams, reeds and tiles. Of great interest are the thirteenth and fourteenth century frescoes: in the apses and along the walls. During the restoration works some of these frescoes were detached from the church and transported to the nearby museum where they are still exhibited.
Today, after a complex restoration that has also allowed the Church of Santa Maria di Cerrate to reopen for worship, the Abbey can be visited again and represents a splendid example of Apulian Romanesque architecture.
The complex is currently managed by the Italian Environment Fund, which in 2012 acquired its ownership.
Editor: Marcello Pitardi
Photographer: Marcello Pitardi
All photos are owned by © Marcello Pitardi
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