“SS.
ANDREA E PROCOPIO” CRYPT
CRYPT IN MASSERIA
ZACCARIA
“S. GIOVANNI
DI STAVETA” CRYPT
“GROTTA DI
S.CECILIA” CHURCH
“MASSERIA
IACOVELLA” ANONYMOUS CHURCH
“CRISTO
DELLE ZOLLE” ANONYMOUS CRYPT
“MASSERRIA
LAMALUNGA” CRYPT
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The essential condition for the development of
rocky settlements in Monopoli was closely linked
to the efficiency of the roads which used to connect
villages and hamlets.
The rocky villages had their origin in the geological
comformation of this very friable territory due
to the wide presence of limestone tuff.
The phenomenon of concentrating little settlements
around cult places was really widespread in the
territory. These places were never considered
to be Monasteries in order to avoid that local
bishops could seize the surrounding soils. In
fact, in the X century Basileo II had passed a
law which forbid the denomination of ‘Monastery’
for this kind of structures.
Inside, the crypt presents a very simple structure.
They have been called ’basiliane’
because in the VII century, due to iconoclast
clashes, many monks of ‘S.Basilio’
arrived in Apulia keeping on professing their
cult to S.Basilio and bringing examples of devotional
figurative art, alters, capitals, and icons of
oriental origin.
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