Ruvo di Puglia - Concattedrale di Ruvo di Puglia

Ruvo di Puglia, founded probably by Greek settlers, was a "municipium" in Roman times. After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, it got destroyed by Visigothic troops in the 5th centuryand later again by the Lombards. It was then Byzantine and later under Saracen and the Norman power.

The Ruvo Cathedral, once the episcopal seat of the Diocese of Ruvo, is now a co-cathedral in the Diocese of Molfetta-Ruvo-Giovinazzo-Terlizzi. It was built over a previous church and is an important example of late Apulian Romanesque architecture, built between the 12th and 13th centuries.

The current exterior is the result of early 20th-century restoration works which removed the Baroque additions. During the restorations some carvings may not have been restored, but replaced.

This elephant looks - well - fresh and more than that it is anatomically perfect. So it may well be an "improved" copy of a medieval predecessor.