The Cathedral of San Gerardo is the main church or duomo of the city of Potenza. A temple at the site, dedicated to the Virgin of the Assumption, likely dated to the 5th or 6th century, when it was supposedly founded by Saint Orontius of Lecce. A new church dedicated to St Gerardo della Porta, who became patron of the town and whose relics are sheltered here, was built between the 12th and 13th centuries, under the patronage of the bishop Bartolomeo (1197-1206). The five-story stone belltower from this church, attributed to designs by Sàrolo di Muro Lucano, still exists.
The present church is mainly due to a reconstruction during 1783 to 1799 in neoclassical-style with a design by Antonio Magri, a pupil of Luigi Vanvitelli. Since the church has required repairs after various earthquakes and a bombardment in 1943.
The ceilings and the apse have an elaborate program of frescoes painted in the 20th century. The ceiling was painted (1933-1934) from the façade to the presbytery with scenes from the old to new testament by the painter Mario Prayer. The bronze doors (1968) were created by Giuseppe Niglia. Below the main altar is a crypt with archeologic evidence of prior structures in a mosaic pavement. The dome has frescoes depicting a procession of St Gerard. The apse has a Christ the Redeemer frescoed against a bright background. The chapel of St Gerard has a 15th-century reliquary statue.
References:Ogrodzieniec Castle is a ruined medieval castle originally built in the 14th–15th century by the W³odkowie Sulimczycy family. Established in the early 12th century, during the reign of Boles³aw III Wrymouth, the first stronghold was razed by the Tatars in 1241. In the mid-14th century a new gothic castle was built here to accommodate the Sulimczycy family. Surrounded by three high rocks, the castle was well integrated into the area. The defensive walls were built to close the circuit formed by the rocks, and a narrow opening between two of the rocks served as an entrance.
In 1470 the castle and lands were bought by the wealthy Cracovian townsmen, Ibram and Piotr Salomon. Then, Ogrodzieniec became the property of Jan Feliks Rzeszowski, the rector of Przemy¶l and the canon of Cracow. The owners of the castle about that time were also Jan and Andrzej Rzeszowskis, and later Pilecki and Che³miñski families. In 1523 the castle was bought by Jan Boner.