Co-Cathedral of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary: Bova’s Principal Catholic Church
Site at a Glance
- Rating
- 4.6
- Popularity
- Very Low
- Country
- Italy
- Primary era
- Medieval
- Eras represented
- Medieval, Early Modern, Modern
- Civilizations
- Byzantine, Norman
- Site type
- Religious
- Remains
- Cathedral
On this page8 sections
History
The Co-Cathedral of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a Roman Catholic church in Bova, Italy, and the town’s principal Catholic place of worship. It has Norman origins, while the present church incorporates work carried out in the ninth century and later changes from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.
Origins and Later Expansion
The church’s foundation has been linked by Father Giovanni Fiore da Cropani, a Catholic priest and historian of Calabria, to Saint Stephen of Nicaea, regarded in this tradition as the first bishop of Reggio. Fiore placed the foundation in the first century and considered the church one of Calabria’s oldest cathedrals. This early date belongs to a foundation tradition rather than an independently established chronology.
The building that developed from the church’s Norman origins underwent work in the ninth century. It was enlarged during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, then altered again after the earthquakes of 1783 and 1908. These successive interventions shaped the church’s present historical form.
From Cathedral to Co-Cathedral
In 1978, the church was adapted to the liturgical reforms associated with the Second Vatican Council, the Roman Catholic council held from 1962 to 1965 that changed worship practices and altar arrangements. The diocesan technical office constructed a freestanding altar, positioned so that the celebrant could stand behind it.
The sees of Reggio Calabria and Bova had shared one bishop since 1973. On 30 September 1986, the Congregation for Bishops issued the decree Instantibus votis, fully uniting the two sees as the Archdiocese of Reggio Calabria-Bova. Bova Cathedral consequently became a co-cathedral, a cathedral sharing its title and ecclesiastical functions with another cathedral in the same archdiocese. The church remains active and follows the Roman rite within the archdiocese.
Remains
The church stands above the center of Bova and is organized around a central nave, two minor aisles, an elevated choir, and chapels opening from the side spaces. Its central nave has a timber truss ceiling and extends eastward to an elongated choir raised above the nave. A broad staircase provides access to this higher liturgical area.
Interior and Chapels
Choir and Main Altar
At the rear of the apse stands the altar, above which a niche contains a statue of Our Lady of the Presentation. The choir loft is positioned above the main entrance, while the freestanding altar introduced in 1978 forms part of the later liturgical arrangement.
Side Chapels and Sacristy
The two minor aisles open into side chapels. At their eastern ends are the large Chapel of the Assumption and the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament. Further chapels are dedicated to the Madonna of the Rosary in the left aisle and to the Crucifix and Our Lady, Help of Christians, in the right aisle. The sacristy is reached from the right aisle and formerly served as the chapter room, the meeting room used by a cathedral chapter.
Bell Tower
A square-plan bell tower stands beside the church. It rises 7.5 meters and has a belfry containing four bells.
