Rapolla Cathedral is a Roman Catholic cathedral dedicated to Saint Michael the Archangel. Formerly the episcopal seat of the Diocese of Rapolla, it is now a co-cathedral in the Diocese of Melfi-Rapolla-Venosa.
The structure was erected in a Romanesque style in 1209 on the site of a paleochristian building, possibly occupying the site of a pagan temple. The belltower was designed by Sarolo di Muro Lucano. Rebuilt a few decades later in 1253, by Melchiorre da Montalbano, it has survived in this earthquake-prone region. The interior with three naves, separated by columns and arches, houses a 16th-century crucifix with bas-reliefs depicting Adam and Eve and the Annunciation by Sarolo da Muro Lucano. The apse also has a 13th-century carved polychrome wooden crucifix.
References:Visby Cathedral (also known as St. Mary’s Church) is the only survived medieval church in Visby. It was originally built for German merchants and inaugurated in 1225. Around the year 1350 the church was enlarged and converted into a basilica. The two-storey magazine was also added then above the nave as a warehouse for merchants.
Following the Reformation, the church was transformed into a parish church for the town of Visby. All other churches were abandoned. Shortly after the Reformation, in 1572, Gotland was made into its own Diocese, and the church designated its cathedral.
There is not much left of the original interior. The font is made of local red marble in the 13th century. The pulpit was made in Lübeck in 1684. There are 400 graves under the church floor.