The church of Santa Maria del Popolo in Bitonto is also called Santa Teresa because in 1702 it was granted to the Teresians, who built a convent there that is now a secondary school. It stands a few tens of metres from the place where porta Pendile once stood.
What to see
Construction began in 1601 to a design by the architect Bartolomeo Amendolara. To the right of the church is the public cistern, which dates from 1612 and was built to cope with drought. The facade is sober, poor in decoration: the portal shows classical lines, while the window above it has a curved pediment.
The interior stands out for its great quantity of stuccoes, marbles, frames and festoons. The original canvases are now kept in the diocesan museum; a few remain which, together with a wooden Christ, enrich the building, if only a little. The adjoining monastery has severe architectural lines and is preceded by an imposing flight of steps; the rich entrance portal of the monastery and that of the vestibule stand in contrast with the severity of the structure.
Visiting
The church is a few steps from where porta Pendile stood, in Bitonto. The sources consulted give no opening hours or visiting arrangements: check them. The adjoining convent now houses a secondary school.
Our editors' tip
The church's original canvases are now in the diocesan museum of Bitonto, in the former bishop's seminary attached to the church of San Francesco della Scarpa.
