"Byzantine complex of Sant'Eustachio in Giovinazzo faces abandonment despite historical protection status" by Carlo Coppola
The complex consists of a church, a bell tower with defensive functions, and a rural farmhouse with agricultural facilities, representing a typical monastic and productive settlement of Byzantine territorial organization. According to local historians and typological comparisons cited in the protection decree, the building's origin dates back to the second half of the 11th century, within the same Greco-Oriental cultural area.
The church displays particularly valuable architectural features: a single hall divided into two adjoining rooms, covered by aligned domes resting on semi-pillars attached to the walls—a rare solution in the Apulian landscape. The most immediate references are found in buildings such as San Rocco in Turi, Santa Maria di Calena in Peschici, and especially the Cathedral of Canosa, as well as Santa Margherita in Bisceglie, Santa Caterina in Conversano, and Santa Maria di Siponto. These comparisons reveal the particular type of "canopy" domes, lacking pendentives. Inside, fragments of Byzantine frescoes are still visible, now largely deteriorated but fundamental for understanding the original decorative richness of the complex.
Next to the church stands a medieval bell tower, probably also built for defensive purposes, following a typology widespread in the rural churches of the Giovinazzo and Bitonto countryside. The roofing, made according to local tradition with chiancarelle (stone tiles), recalls construction solutions similar to those of trulli. The presence of the farmhouse and productive spaces confirms that Sant'Eustachio was not merely a place of worship but a vital node where spirituality, agricultural work, and territorial control intertwined.
Despite formal recognition of its value, today the complex is in a state of evident neglect and deterioration, worsened over time by repeated acts of vandalism and looting. The structures show cracks, vegetation has invaded internal and external spaces, the original flooring has been removed, and surviving frescoes are exposed to the elements; access to the tower is also dangerous.
According to the General Catalogue of Cultural Heritage, Sant'Eustachio is currently listed as privately owned property, specifically belonging to the Fanelli family of Giovinazzo. Despite evident logistical difficulties due to the complex nature of the property, the family attempts to address numerous acts of vandalism and damage to the complex, in compliance with restrictions imposed by the Ministry of Cultural Heritage. However, the vastness of the area, the complex articulated structure, the presence of numerous access points, and continuous breaches of perimeter walls make effective control and continuous protection extremely difficult for the owners alone.
This condition makes active and structured collaboration between owners, competent institutions, and the local community necessary to ensure the conservation and safeguarding of the property. Protecting and enhancing Sant'Eustachio means preserving a fundamental testimony of Giovinazzo's Byzantine heritage and returning to the community a shared historical, artistic, and architectural patrimony already recognized as such by the State.
