Lucera Cathedral

The dedication is to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary but it is also popularly known as Santa Maria della Vittoria from the statue of the Madonna kept here.

The dedication, to the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, refers to a small gilded wooden statue of the Virgin of the late 14th century, which has the nickname Madonna della vittoria ("Madonna of Victory"), because it is said to commemorate the victory of the Anjou dynasty over the Hohenstaufen in Southern Italy.

Charles ordered a new church (the present cathedral) to be built on the site, probably under the supervision of the master builder Pierre d'Agincourt.

It is the southernmost Gothic brick church in continental Italy and one of the few examples of Gotico Angioiano style outside the city of Naples.

The right-hand part of the west front, constructed later, is formed by a tower of generally Romanesque appearance, even though it is more recent than the Gothic portions .

French influence is clearly seen in the arcades of pointed arches of the wide central aisle and the pillars which support them.