Taranto's Co-Cathedral, Gio Ponti's masterpiece: the famous concrete 'sail', history, architecture and how to visit one of the monuments of twentieth-century Italy.
History
The Gran Madre di Dio Co-Cathedral is one of the masterpieces of twentieth-century Italian architecture and the last great work of Gio Ponti (Milan, 1891-1979), undisputed master of the last century's architecture and design.
It was commissioned by Archbishop Guglielmo Motolese in the 1960s, to give a place of worship to the New Town, the district born of the city's rapid eastward expansion. The project's history officially began on 27 March 1964; construction ran from 1967 to 1970, and the consecration took place on 6 December 1970.
For Ponti, by then almost eighty, the Co-Cathedral was far more than a commission: he lived it as a journey of faith. He went so far as to say: "I have spoken of the cathedral because I have spoken of my life". Before reaching the final solution he drew up no fewer than four different designs.
What to see
What strikes you immediately is the great "sail": a wall of white concrete about 40 metres high, pierced by eighty hexagonal and rectangular openings, which replaces the traditional dome and reaches for the sky. Ponti explained he had wanted "a façade for the air, with eighty windows open onto the immense… otherwise where would the angels sit?".
The sail is mirrored in the three pools of water on the forecourt, representing the sea: a homage to Taranto's seafaring tradition. Inside too, the bond with the sea is constant, from the shades of green chosen to evoke the seabed to the metal anchor-crosses beside the altar.
Ponti oversaw every detail: the colours of the Puglia tradition (greens, ochres, yellows), the furnishings, the pews, the baptismal font, and personally painted the Annunciation behind the altar. Beneath the church lies a crypt holding the remains of Archbishop Motolese, who commissioned the work.
Did you know…
- It is considered among the most important monuments of modern architecture in the world and is listed in the Atlas of Contemporary Architecture.
- The great pierced 'sail' replaces the dome and is mirrored in the pools of water symbolising the sea.
- Gio Ponti designed every detail, furnishings included, and personally painted the Annunciation behind the altar.
- The commission had initially been given to Pier Luigi Nervi, before passing to Ponti in 1964.
Practical information
| Hours | Open according to service times; checking with the parish is recommended. |
|---|---|
| Ticket | Free entry. |
| Accessibility | The modern building is generally accessible; the forecourt is reached via a flight of steps. |
| Getting there | In the heart of the New Town, along the city's eastern axis of expansion. Well served by urban buses. |
Tips for your visit
- See it at sunset: the pierced white sail creates spectacular plays of light.
- Pause on the sail's reflection in the forecourt pools.
- Inside, note the contrast of greens evoking the seabed.