Church of Santa Chiara

The Church of Santa Chiara is located in the historic centre of Turi (Bari) and is one of the town’s most significant religious buildings. It was built between 1623 and 1631 thanks to two local noblemen, the brothers Vittore and Elia De Vittore, who also funded the adjoining monastery for the cloistered Poor Clare nuns.

The church has a rectangular plan with a lunette barrel vault and side chapels divided by pilasters. Its interior is characterised by a restrained yet elegant Baroque style, enriched with 18th-century stucco work and decorations. The high altar is dominated by a large 1771 painting depicting the death of Saint Clare, by the painter Carlo Amalfi. Other notable works include paintings attributed to Fedele Fischetti and marble sculptures by the Sanmartino brothers, renowned Neapolitan artists.

One of the church’s most distinctive features is the presence of the “gelosie”, gilded wooden screens positioned high along the walls. These allowed the nuns to attend religious services while remaining hidden from the congregation, in accordance with the rules of monastic enclosure.

The monastery was suppressed in the 19th century, but the complex has since been preserved and restored. Today, the former convent houses the municipal library and spaces dedicated to cultural and community activities, while retaining the historic character and charm of the original building.

The Church of Santa Chiara is not only an important example of Baroque religious architecture, but also a significant part of Turi’s spiritual and cultural history.

RELATED ARTICLES: Chiesa di Santa Chiara a Turi: il segreto delle Clarisse e l’opera dei Sanmartino Il convento di Santa Chiara a Turi: storia, segreti e tradizioni di un tesoro nascosto

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