Il ruolo delle torri absidali nelle architetture ecclesiastiche della Terra di Bari tra XI e XIII secolo: un’ipotesi di lavoro

The seacoast towns in “Terra di Bari” are a coherent group of small cities, which, from the 11th to the 13th centuries, were almost comparable in importance and extension. Several cathedrals were built at the point between the sea and the city – a privileged position to be viewed from the sea. In the cathedrals of Molfetta and Giovinazzo, based on the model of the basilica of St Nicholas in Bari, there is evidence of two apsidal towers, branching off from the continuous wall enclosing the apses, with dual function of bell towers and “lighthouses”. In the first case they were a town landmark, in the second, they indicated the coast's proximity and landing possibility. The paper aims to analyze ecclesiastical architecture and the presence of towers in a broader perspective, not considering only the architecture but also his position in relationship to town and sea. The role of bell towers will be examined in relation to the "Adriatic Lake," with a focus on how these "sea buildings" affected the cost.