Sanctuary of Saints Cosmas and Damian in Bitonto: Faith and Tradition

The Sanctuary of Saints Cosmas and Damian in Bitonto, in the province of Bari, represents one of the most significant centers of worship in southern Italy dedicated to the two Holy Physicians. With historical roots in the 14th century, this place of worship is deeply connected to the Bitonto community and the devotion to Saints Cosmas and Damian, patrons of the city, remembered for the miracles and healings that tradition attributes to them.

Origins and History of the Cult of Saints Cosmas and Damian in Bitonto

The veneration of Saints Cosmas and Damian in Bitonto dates back to the 14th century, a period when the existence of a church dedicated to them, located near the church of San Giorgio, is documented. This first church remained active until 1631 and, although no monumental trace remains, the cult was transferred to the nearby church of San Giorgio in 1676. There, Bishop Luca Gallo promoted the first expansion works to house the relics and representations of the saints, including a painting by the painter Carlo Rosa, depicting the saints on clouds with Saint George in the act of killing a dragon.

In 1733, the church of San Giorgio commissioned the creation of two wooden statues of the saints, probably by the Neapolitan carver Giacomo Colombo. These statues are still venerated today, although the originals were partially replaced in 1982 by bronze copies, preserving the restored heads and hands.

The New Sanctuary of the Holy Physicians

The growth of devotion to Saints Cosmas and Damian led, over the centuries, to several phases of expansion of the church. In 1958, to accommodate the increasing number of faithful, Monsignor Aurelio Marena, Bishop of Ruvo-Bitonto, initiated the construction of a new sanctuary in the western area of the city, at Piazza 26 Maggio 1734, the site of a historic battle between Austrians and Spaniards and the location of a miracle attributed to the Immaculate Conception. After the laying of the foundation stone, the new sanctuary was completed and consecrated in 1973. In 1975, Pope Paul VI elevated the sanctuary to the rank of Minor Pontifical Basilica, thus sealing the importance of the Bitonto cult of Saints Cosmas and Damian.

Works and Relics of the Saints

Among the historical treasures of the sanctuary is a painting kept in the Diocesan Art Gallery, depicting Saint Leucio together with the Holy Physicians, one of the earliest attestations of the cult of Saints Cosmas and Damian in Bitonto. Another precious relic are the bones of the saints, donated in 1550 by Pope Julius III to Bishop Cornelio Musso, which were initially kept in the cathedral of Bitonto.

The Ex-Votos and Popular Devotion

The sanctuary houses a vast collection of ex-votos, which includes inscribed tablets, paintings, goldsmith objects, prostheses, and photographs. These ex-votos, preserved in the rooms adjacent to the sanctuary, represent the graces and miracles attributed to the intercession of the saints, highlighting the deep bond between Saints Cosmas and Damian and the Bitonto community.

Celebrations and Traditions

Every year, on September 27th, the feast of Saints Cosmas and Damian is celebrated, an event that attracts thousands of faithful and pilgrims from all over Apulia and beyond. The procession of the statues of the Holy Physicians is one of the most heartfelt moments, accompanied by prayers and devotional songs that recount the history and traditions linked to the healing saints.

The Sanctuary of Saints Cosmas and Damian in Bitonto, with its long history and traditions, continues to be a place of deep spirituality and devotion, a symbol of faith and hope for all those who go there on pilgrimage.

Other Raw Information

In the 14th century, a church dedicated to Saints Cosmas and Damian is attested in Bitonto, which remained active until January 31, 1631; of this church, located near the church of S. Giorgio, no monumental trace remains.
In 1676, the cult of Saints Cosmas and Damian was transferred to the nearby church of S. Giorgio. In 1682, Bishop Gallo promoted the first expansion works of the building. In 1845, the parish priest had a long room of 20 m built, interspersed with an arch. In 1913, expansion works on the church began and were completed in 1917; the expanded church consisted of a single nave with five side chapels.
In 1958, construction began on the current sanctuary, consecrated in 1973.Description: The oldest attestation of the cult of the Holy Physicians in Bitonto (14th century) is directed towards a painting in the church of S. Leucio depicting the latter together with Saints Cosmas and Damian (today it is kept at the Diocesan Art Gallery of Bitonto) (see above 5: Life cycle of the sanctuary). In other churches in the city of Bitonto, dating from the late 14th to early 15th century, there are depictions of Saints Cosmas and Damian: S. Domenico, convent of S. Francesco, Madonna del Carmine, church of the Crucifix and of the Annunciation (the latter two are cave churches located in the countryside surrounding the Bitonto settlement. Also dating to the 14th century is a stone bas-relief depicting Saints Cosmas and Damian with some devotees (today placed under the altar of the crypt in the current basilica of the Holy Physicians). Image: Painting, Other Place: Other Description: Pope Julius III (1550-1555) donated to the Bishop of Bitonto Cornelio Musso (1544-1574), who had requested it, a bone from the arm of St. Valentine, the first patron saint of the city, and the bones of two arms of Saints Cosmas and Damian; the relics, received in 1550, were kept in a reliquary and placed in the cathedral of Bitonto. Relic: Bones Description: The origin of the cult of the two Bitonto statues is handed down by two distinct local traditions: 1) In 1733, the parish priest of the church of S. Giorgio (see above 5: Life cycle of the sanctuary) had the two statues that are still venerated today built by one of the best Neapolitan carvers, probably Giacomo Colombo (1680-1730). 2) According to another local tradition, the two statues, at an unspecified time, belonged to a private individual (V. Amenunno) who lived near the church of S. Caterina di Alessandria; every year, on the occasion of the feast on September 27th, the owner would assemble and display them in the church of S. Caterina. The descendants of the owner, still alive, pass down that the two images were the protagonists of a miracle in favor of a Neapolitan woman. After this event, the Amenunno family donated the miraculous statues to the church of S. Caterina di Alessandria to be venerated. From this moment, the spread of the cult in Bitonto began. Only in 1869 did the parish priest of S. Caterina donate the two statues to the church of S. Giorgio because it offered greater accommodation for the cult; the parish priest of S. Giorgio had an altar dedicated to the Holy Physicians built in a side chapel. In 1982, the deteriorated wooden statues were replaced by two bronze copies, to which only the heads and hands of the wooden works, properly restored, were added. Image: Statue Description: When the cult of Saints Cosmas and Damian was transferred to the church of S. Giorgio (see above 5: Life cycle of the sanctuary), the parish priest commissioned a painting from the painter Carlo Rosa (1613-1678) depicting Saints Cosmas and Damian on clouds and St. George on a horse, with a dragon under his feet that he kills with the tip of his sword to free a princess. The painting was placed on the main altar (today it is kept in the Diocesan Art Gallery of Bitonto). Image: Painting
Types of ex-votos: Tablets or plaques with inscriptions, Painted tablets, Goldsmith objects, Anthropomorphic figurines, Real or represented prostheses, Various objects, Photographs, Other Current conservation: The ex-votos are kept in the rooms adjacent to the sanctuary. Reference to publications or printed descriptions: Periodical L’Eco dei Santi Medici.
The collections of miracles are kept in the Historical Episcopal Archive.
The oldest attestation of the cult of Saints Cosmas and Damian in Bitonto dates back to the 14th century, a period to which the first signs of veneration towards a painting existing in the church of S. Leucio, erected by Bishop Corasio Leucio (1283-1317) in 1299, date back. Also dating to the 14th century is a stone bas-relief depicting Saints Cosmas and Damian with some devotees, which was located in the chapel of the Rogadeo family dedicated to St. Anna. Following the healing of one of its members, the family donated the work to the church of Saints Cosmas and Damian (today it is placed under the altar of the crypt in the current basilica of Saints Cosmas and Damian) (see below: Object of worship). In the 14th century, a church dedicated to Saints Cosmas and Damian is attested in Bitonto, which remained active until January 31, 1631. Of this church, located near the church of S. Giorgio, no monumental trace remains, but it is mentioned in the Angevin Land Registers, which indicate its location between v. Carafa, v. San Giorgio and vico Lucertola; in 1544, the Bishop of Bitonto Cornelio Musso, visiting the fifty churches and parishes of the diocese, found this building completely abandoned. Another testimony of the existence of this church is contained in the account of the pastoral visit made by Bishop Carafa in 1624. Inside there were two statues depicting the saints (see below: Object of worship). In 1631, the church is mentioned in the pastoral visit of the Bishop of Venosa. In 1659, Bishop Crescenzi (1652-1675), during his pastoral visit, found the church in a state of partial abandonment. In 1659, the small church was deconsecrated because it was in danger of collapse. In 1676, Bishop Gallo transferred the cult of Saints Cosmas and Damian to the nearby church of S. Giorgio, built at the end of the 11th century; the parish priest of this church commissioned a painting from the painter Carlo Rosa (1613-1678) depicting Saints Cosmas and Damian on clouds and St. George on a horse, which was placed on the main altar (see below: Object of worship). In 1682, Bishop Gallo promoted expansion works on the church, and the painting of Cosmas and Damian was placed in a secondary chapel dedicated to them. In 1733, the parish priest had the two statues that are still venerated today built (see below: Object of worship). Between the end of the 19th and the beginning of this century, renovation and expansion works on the church were undertaken and completed in 1917 (cf. below: Structure). Mons. Aurelio Marena, Bishop of Ruvo-Bitonto from 1950 to 1978, promotes the construction of a new sanctuary in the western area of the city, precisely in Piazza 26 Maggio 1734, that is, where according to tradition the battle between Austrians and Spaniards took place and where the Virgin Immaculate would have performed a miracle in favor of the Bitonto people; furthermore, the square represented an expansion area of the new city master plan. To build the new building, a small rural church dedicated to Madonna della Pietà, built in 1846, was dismantled. In 1958, the foundation stone of the new sanctuary was blessed; in 1963, the statues of Saints Cosmas and Damian were transferred from the church of S. Giorgio martyr. The sanctuary was consecrated in 1973.
On February 13, 1975, the sanctuary was declared a Minor Pontifical Basilica, by a bull of Pope Paul VI.