Church of the Immaculate

The church of the Congregation of the Immaculate was built in 1650, as indicated by the epigraph placed on the lintel of the entrance. The façade presents a simple portal with an arched tympanum surmounted by a statue of the Immaculate. The top is embellished with a rosette with floral motifs and two letters AM constituting the dedication to Mary. The interior has a single nave plan that culminates in a fine Baroque altar, attributed to the architect Giuseppe Zimbalo of Lecce. The high altar, golden and intricately decorated in baroque style, has four twisted columns, two of which adorned with numerous little angels and topped by a large oil painting depicting the Immaculate Virgin Mary. At the top stands a wooden Christ. The vaulted ceiling, fully painted, has a central star, architectural solution of Salento tradition. Along the side walls a series of painted medallions illustrating the events in the life of the Virgin Mary. Above the main entrance stands the 18th-century wooden choir.