Adria -  Monuments

 

The Cathedral

The Cathedral, begun in 1776, was consecrated in 1882. The façade is incomplete. The interior with nave and two aisles houses some beautiful works of art: six Byzantine frescoes representing the apostles discovered in 1830 in the crypt, the first Cathedral that probably dates back to the very beginning of the Christian era; a precious marble Coptic bas-relief (Vth century) with the Madonna in prayer and the Child surrounded by the archangels Michael and Gabriel; a wooden gold-plated statue of the Virgin with the Rosary which is particularly venerated by the inhabitants of Adria and finally the magnificent carved wardrobes of the sacristy carried out by Jacopo Piazzetta around 1689.

 

 

The Basilica of the Tomb

The church ( 8^th century) has been repeatedly restored. Its name comes from the discovery nearby of the tomb of an important Roman whose name, Quinto Tizio Sertoriano, is legible on a plate at the base of the bell-tower. The middle of the Baroque façade is characterized by a marble statue of the Virgin ( 7th century) by Jacobus Contierus Patavinus. The present Venetian-style bell-tower was built in 1931 by the architect G.B. Scarpari on the ruins, according to the local tradition, of the ancient lighthouse of Adria.

Inside, the baptismal font with its monolithic Roman basin and the Dormitio Virginis, a splendid 15th century terracotta attributed to Guido Mazzoni representing the Madonna surrounded by the apostles crying over her death, are worth mentioning.

 

The National Archaeological Museum

In order to appreciate the importance Adria enjoyed in past times, a visit to its Museum containing magnificent finds is advisable. The Museum, inaugurated in 1961, was designed by the architect G.B. Scarpari.

If the prehistoric period is poorly attested, the exhibition is rich in remains dating back to the 6^th century B.C. when the town was a flourishing port.

The civilizations which have left evident traces are four: Paleo-Venetian, Greek, Etruscan and Roman.

The first is testified by ceramics, implements made of bone and horn, small bronze sculptures and inscriptions.

The Attic vases with black figurines (6^th century B.C.) and those with red figurines (5^th century B.C.), attributed to famous Greek painters, are much more precious.

The vases are mainly beakers, pitchers and craters. The scenes painted on them represent banquettes, warriors, athletes and mythological characters.

 

                  

 

The Theatre

The inhabitants of Adria have always been fond of opera and music. Indeed a great deal of concert–halls and theatres have followed one another over the years. Nowadays his ancient tradition is testified by Cavour Square. It was designed by the architect  G. B. Scarpari and inaugurated in 1935 with the opera Mefistofele by  Arrigo Boito. Some famous singers have performed here such as the soprano Rosetta Pampanini and the tenor Beniamino Gigli.

The façade, characterized by a great balcony and strong pillars, is striking in its sobriety. The same style inspires the vast interior embellished by a few works of art by G. Samoggia and A. Viaro. The cupola above the stalls, which has been conceived to allow sound–waves to propagate uniformly, is worth noticing. That is why this remarkable theatre has such excellent acoustics.

 

 

see also other sites in and around Adria

 

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