After walking through the austere stone interior of the Romanesque basilica of St Nicholas in Bari, Italy, behind the main altar, on the concave wall of the apse, you will see a monument of white and black marble. It is surmounted by the figure of a kneeling woman. This monumental monument is the tomb of the wife of King Sigismund I the Old - Queen Bona.

Artistic composition of the tombstone

It is a tall composition of white and black marble spanning the concave wall of the apse behind the ciborium of the main altar. Standing on a lofty plinth, four Tuscan columns with black shafts carry a broken Doric beam. Between the columns are niches with figures of St Nicholas (patron saint of Bari) and St Stanislaus (patron saint of Poland). Against the backdrop of the noticeably wider central niche, a black sarcophagus rests on sculptural lion's feet, on which the figure of the Queen kneels. Bona is depicted realistically as an elderly person. Below the sarcophagus, at the level of the main pedestal, is a pedestal and on it a black marble slab with a now illegible inscription. It is flanked by two semi-recumbent allegorical female figures with (also barely legible) coat-of-arms cartouches. It is most likely that the figure on the left, wearing a royal crown with tendrils, is an allegory of the Republic.

Both the architectural structure of the tomb, with its calm composition and exquisite proportions, and the sculptural elaboration of the Queen's figure, with its deep but rather classical modelling of her robes, attest to the high artistry of the author of this monument. Unfortunately, as a result of works carried out at the beginning of the 20th century, the present appearance is somewhat impoverished compared to its earlier state. The bas-relief depicting the Resurrection of Christ, which was added after the tombstone was created, and the fresco covering the wall depicting figures of Polish saints and kings were removed. Nevertheless, the work is a striking artistic accent in the interior of the basilica.

The sepulchral monument was erected in the basilica in 1593 by the sculptor Andrea Sarti of Carrara and his two assistants: Francesco Zaccarella and Francesco Bernucci.

Queen Bona

Bona Sforza was born in Vigevano, Lombardy, in 1494, the daughter of Giana Galeazza Sforza and Isabella of Aragon. Brilliantly educated, she was due to marry Frederick of Habsburg, but it was later decided that she would marry Sigismund I the Old, ruler of one of the largest states in Europe at the time. She was 26 years old at the time and her spouse was 51. She was not well regarded by many of her contemporaries (and some scholars), but as queen of the Commonwealth she tried to strengthen the position of the ruler, the key to this being a consistent policy of recovering and accumulating royal property. She became known as a good landlord in Lithuania and later in Mazovia, where - in the face of disagreements with her son Sigismund II Augustus - she moved after her husband's death. Bona's unquestionable merit was to promote humanist culture and Italian art in the Commonwealth.

After living in Warsaw for eight years, in 1556 she decided to leave for the Duchy of Bari, which was her ancestral seat in her mother's line.

Queen Bona's tragic death

Bona did not enjoy her stay in the land of her childhood for long. A year after her return, she was poisoned by her trusted courtier, John Lorenzo Pappacoda, who acted on behalf of the Habsburgs seeking to stop the repayment of a huge debt contracted with Bona. The queen was buried in the aforementioned St Nicholas Basilica in a very modest manner. It was only a few years later that her daughter Anna Jagiellonka entrusted the construction of the Queen's tomb to the famous Neapolitan sculptor Andrea Sarti of Carrara.

Bari, the capital of Puglia, through the eyes of a tourist

After seeing Queen Bona's tomb, descend into the basilica's underground, where the relics and tomb of St Nicholas are found in a vast crypt. On the other hand, after leaving the basilica and diving into the labyrinth of winding streets of the old town, you can indulge in a moment's rest in a restaurant garden and sample the regional cuisine with a glass of Primotivo wine produced only in this region.

The excellent Primitivo wine (the best is believed to come from the municipality of Manduria) is not the only asset of the Puglia region, whose capital is Bari. Puglia also attracts with its charming landscape, attractive sandy beaches and intriguing cuisine. This far southern region of Italy, which ends on the heel of the 'Italian boot', is relatively unknown and rarely chosen by tourists, who prefer Tuscany, Veneto or Sicily. Fortunately, this has begun to change in recent years and this economically poor region is becoming increasingly popular.