Crypt of San Giovanni

The Crypt or Church of San Giovanni (or Sant'Angelo), dug into the tufa of a rocky outcrop in the Latiano plain, not far from the Masseria Grottole, is an ancient subterranean place of worship that still retains its original mystical atmosphere.
With a quadrangular floor plan, the crypt has a single nave, which is overlooked on the east side by the unfortunately ruined wall altars and four flat apses with traces of 13th-century frescoes depicting the Madonna with Child, St. Michael the Archangel and St. John the Baptist, hence the name. The small church is in perfect harmony with the structure of the underground chapels typical of the Basilian monks who settled in Salento as early as the 8th century. 
The extension of the excavation and the opening of the window to the south date back to later periods, and the holes dug in the tuff can still be seen, which once housed the hinges of the wooden door that protected the entrance to this sacred place of peace and contemplation.