Today Bernalda has become a charming tourist destination, with six kilometers of coastline overlooking the Ionian Sea and a very characteristic historical center made up of alleyways and noble palaces. In which it is possible to appreciate, among other things:
- the Aragonese Castle
- the Mother Church of San Bernardino of Siena
- San Bernardino square
- Plebiscite Square
- Carmine Church
- Church of the Convent of Sant’Antonio da Padova
- Margaret Palace
Mother Church of San Bernardino of Siena
The Mother Church of San Bernardino da Siena is characterized by the terracotta bricks that make up the building, as well as by the Byzantine domes. It houses various pictorial and decorative elements of considerable value.
The Aragonese castle
The Aragonese Castle looks down on the city, probably built by the Normans but deeply restored by the Aragonese.
The Carmelite Church
The Church of Carmine houses a large wooden crucifix from the 17th century, while the Church of the Convent of Sant’Antonio da Padova boasts a very intense 19th-century crucifix.
The Plebiscite Square
In Piazza Plebiscito it is instead possible to appreciate a garden villa surrounded by 19th-century stately buildings, historic homes of the local bourgeoisie. Finally, Palazzo Margherita, as mentioned, has acquired new luster thanks to the recent investment by Francis Ford Coppola.
Church of the Convent of Sant’Antonio da Padova
The Church of St ‘Antonio da Padova, dating back to the 16th century, annexed to the convent of the same name – today a municipality -, is a subsidiary church of that of San Bernardino da Siena, belonging to the diocese of Irsina-Matera in Basilicata.
The structure, located in P.zza Plebiscito, following a fall of debris from the roof required a consolidation and conservative restoration which began in 2018 and ended a few months ago
