Basilica of Santa Caterina d'Alessandria

The Basilica of Santa Caterina d'Alessandria , one of the most famous monuments of romanesque and gothic architecture in Apulia, lies in the center of Galatina.
It was built between 1369 and 1391, by the will of Raimondello Orsini del Balzo and completed after his death in 1405 by his wife, princess Maria d'Enghien, and then by his son, Giovanni Antonio Orsini Del Balzo.
The building was built on an pre-existing byzantine church dating from the 9th or 10th century.
The facade has three cusps, highlighted by blind arches. The main portal has a porch supported by two columns resting on lions, while the architrave bears a bas-relief depicting Christ with the twelve Apostles. The upper part of the façade has three acroteria: a cross in the center, San Francesco d'Assisi to the right and San Paolo Apostolo to the left .
The interior is divided into three aisles.