Gallipoli - Concattedrale di Sant'Agata

The name of the town derives from ancient Greek and translates to "beautiful city". The Greek inhabitants sided with Pyrrhus and Taranto against ancient Rome but after the defeat in 265 BC it became a Roman colony. After the fall of the Roman Empire, it was sacked by the Vandals and the Goths and was under Ostrogothic rule until 538, when it was conquered by the Byzantines. Gallipoli got rebuilt and experienced a period of commercial prosperity. After numerous incursions, the Arabs finally conquered it in 915 and remained here until 945. Reconquered by the Byzantines the first major restructuring and strengthening of the castle went underway.

In 1055 it was unsuccessfully sieged by the army of Roberto il Guiscardo who had to retire defeated in 1056. In 1132, after a year of siege, it was occupied by the Normans. In 1268, it was besieged by Charles I of Anjou´s troops. As many inhabitants were able to flee the city during the siege, the city was repopulated around 1300.

Gallipoli today is divided into two parts, the modern city ("borgo") and the old city (centro storico). The old town is located on an island, linked to the mainland by a bridge built in the 16th century.

The "Duomo di Gallipoli" (aka "Basilica Concattedrale di Sant'Agata vergine e martire") is located on the highest point of the island, on an area that was a sacred place probably since antiquity. The bishopric see existed since the end of the 6th century.

A cathedral, originally dedicated to (Byzantine!) John Chrysostom, got replaced in 1126 by a new one, dedicated to Agatha of Sicily. This cathedral got destroyed (or at least severely damaged) when in 1284 Charles I of Anjou occupied the city and had it razed to the ground.
The cathedral was probably rebuilt together with the rest of the city around 1314. End of the 15th century the King of Naples, Ferdinand of Aragón, was asked for support, as the cathedral was in dire need of repair. In 1497 a wing of the cathedral had collapsed and the most necessary repairs were made. But the crumbling continued and in the beginning of the 17th century, it was decided to tear it down and build a new church. The erection started in 1629 and continued with many interruptions until the beginning of the 18th century.

The façade is a masterpiece in the Lecce Baroque style, but unfortunately, it can only be seen from close up due to the narrow buildings in the area. It bears the date of its completion “A.D. 1696 "