An important architectural complex built in the 10th century, the Monastery of St. Benedict houses rich art testimonies inside, a medieval cloister (11th-13th centuries) of trapezoidal shape with carved capitals, mosaic decorations, and conventual structures of various kinds. The story of this monastery is very unique, famous for its name Monstrum Apuliae (Monster of Apulia), because between the 13th and 19th centuries it was home to mitred abbesses, powerful nuns who exercised true feudal and ecclesiastical jurisdiction over the territory. It stands out with its two bell towers, one dating back to the Norman period, the other purely decorative with rich majolica from the Baroque period. Inside there is a church in Romanesque style. Particularly original is the polychrome mosaic decoration on the church walls, high on the outside, which forms a continuous band with a series of geometric motifs alternating with palmettes and twisted ribbons; decorative plaques with floral motifs and a winged griffin form another decorative element enlivening the building’s walls. It houses the Civic Archaeological Museum, which exhibits the city’s archaeological evidence from prehistoric times up to Late Antiquity.
Information about the Civic Archaeological Museum of Conversano
Via San Benedetto, 16
70014 Conversano (Bari)
0804951975
coop.armida@libero.it
https://www.comune.conversano.ba.it
Source: MIBACT
