Church Matrice of Maria S.S. Assunta

The Chiesa Madre di Maria S.S. Assunta is an enchanting testimony to the ancient soul of Torchiarolo. It welcomes visitors with the sunny smile of its elegant façade in Carparo tuff, and offers an immersive experience of the history and spirituality of this border town.
Some testimonies date the first foundation of the church to the Romanesque-Angevin period (1000-1200), described as a simple structure with a single nave and the icon of Our Lady of the Assumption, from which it takes its name, placed on the high altar.
The current building was built towards the end of the 16th century, transforming the Latin cross plan with three airy naves, and was then renovated in 1700, giving it its final appearance in the clear Apulian Baroque style. The splendid façade is the first to show the harmonious expression of the most recognisable Baroque elements, from the large portal with segmental pediment, to the side niches, to the historiated rose window depicting the Assumption surmounted by the clock, to the projecting cornice dividing the two orders, to the typical decorative details of volutes, quadrilobate mouldings and pinnacles that provide light passages on the tuff surface.
The interior has the same triumphal atmosphere, which draws the eye to the luminous star vaults, frescoed in a soft sky colour that alternates with the golden tones of the central rose windows with sacred symbols. The great round arches of the side aisles, framed by tall columns with Corinthian capitals carved in tuff, a clear reference to the façade, increase the ecstatic effect of the vision and lead the visitor to the altarpiece with the Madonna of the Assumption. In addition to the latter, the church contains other paintings and sacred works of great value, including the statue in cartapesta raffigurante la Madonna di Galeano.