Chiesa della Natività di Maria (Concattedrale)

The Church of the Natività di Maria (Nativity of Mary) or Co-Cathedral of Bisaccia is located in the old part of the town.

Originally built by the Normans, the Co-Cathedral was destroyed three times due to seismic events that occurred over the centuries; the first of these occurred in 1456 and following that seismic event it was rebuilt in 1515, as evidenced by the Latin inscription on the portal.

The Church of the Natività di Maria (Nativity of Mary) currently stands in an area characterised by layered architecture that has its origins in Roman times. With the staircase in front of it and the façade made of square blocks of stone, it majestically stands out in Piazza Duomo, not far from the Ducal Castle, where it was erected following the earthquakes of 1695 and 1732.

Some elements of the Church itself document the signs of stratification: the elegant stone portal, embellished with Romanesque-Gothic bas-reliefs, recovered from the 1515 re-building, and crowned by an icon of Saint Gregory the Great, which fits in well with the main Gothic façade; Inside, there are a nave and two aisles divided by columns, the high altar, made of polychrome marble in late Baroque style and closed by a balustrade, a 17th century carved wooden choir, probably from the Bagnola workshop, the altar of the Madonna of Constantinople and some bas-reliefs on the façade, depicting Saint Gregory, the Evangelists and Saint Daniel respectively.

On the outside, the Church of the Natività di Maria has a bell tower, and on the side wall there are two stone plaques, almost side by side, the most recent of which (dated 1887) celebrates the Italian dead in Africa in Saati and Dogali, including Antonio Bambino from Bisaccia.

Dedicated to the Nativity of Mary, the Co-Cathedral of Bisaccia is a majestic religious building whose architectural structure bears the marks of different styles and periods.