Church of Santa Maria Assunta
Place of worship
Ancient parish church of Belmonte consisted of the small Church of Purgatory, still existing today, while the present appearance of Collegiate dates back to the restorations of 1761 by brothers Gesummaria. The main portal, in tuff, dates back to the end of the sixteenth century and presents decorative motif of "three legs" laterally. The original bell tower was of considerable height, but collapsed in the 1905 earthquake and was rebuilt lower, devoid of the clock.
The interior is characterized by an altar with a balustrade in polychrome marble, works by Bonaventura Barone of 1856, whose family coat of arms is reported on the wrought iron gate; the main picture representing Assumption of Virgin Mary in Heaven by Francesco Basile (1794-1795); a pulpit restored of 1737 with the coat of arms of Belmonte (a palm between two towers on three hills). The paintings that decorate the ceiling of the aisle are contemporary work (1950) by the artist Saverio Presta. Below the nave floor there are some fifty tombs dug in the rock.
