Signs of history, devotion, and sometimes superstition are often painted with the colors of the spontaneity of the people, as emphasized by the Lucanian writer Raffaele Riviello, and are housed in the diocesan museums of Basilicata. The Diocesan Museum of Acerenza is an important treasure trove of liturgical vestments, wooden and marble sculptures, paintings on canvas and panel, 18th-century Neapolitan silverware, manuscripts from churches in the diocese, sacred-themed wood carvings by local artisans. These artifacts, dating back to different historical periods, fascinate as expressions of the life experiences and spirituality of monks, Benedictines, and Franciscans, of priests and holy bishops.
Among the materials found in the area and datable from the 9th century BC to the 4th century AD, displayed in the archaeological and lapidary section, is a marble bust of Emperor Julian the Apostate (331-363) originally placed on the façade of the cathedral because it was believed to represent St. Canio, bishop of Iuliana in Africa, whose body was brought to Acerenza where he became the patron saint of the city.
Information about the Diocesan Museum of Sacred Art of Acerenza
Largo del Seminario, 2 85011 Acerenza (Potenza) 0971749221; 0971741299 curia.acerenza@tiscali.it Source: MIBACT
