A Brief History:

A first temple was built in 1623 after a sacred image of the Crucifixion was found in a stable. The temple collapsed in 1682 but the lamp that enlightened the icon remained miraculously on. The event was interpreted as a miracle and it gave impulse to the construction of the second church, which in 1796 was elevated to the status of Sanctuary by Pope Pio VI.

Main Works:

In the sacristy is the painting of “Handing of keys to Saint Peter” by Bartolomeo Vimercati of 1646, coming from the first church. The paintings by Aniello Letizia around the high altar; in the last chapel, right hand side, the organ and the choir, carved and golden wooden work made by Aprile Petrachi in 1699; by Petrachi is also the wooden ceiling, composed of 60 octagonal pieces. Wooden portal, carved in 1696, by Aprile Petrachi da Meledugno.

Events:

From the 2nd to the 4th May the Day of the Holy Crucifix is celebrated, with believers’ procession and other cultural initiatives.

Style:

Masters coming from the whole of Salento area participated in its building, among them: Giuseppe Zimbalo, called Lo Zingarello. The façade is divided into three levels and is characterized by friezes, niches, saints’ statues, a tympanum and an original big window closed by a screen of fretted stones. The interior is also baroque, rich in magnificent decorations like the wooden ceiling, the octagonal dome frescoed with the statues of the church doctors, many canvases, and magnificent altars.