The Santuary of the Madonna della Croce is a remarkable church in the town of Francavilla Fontana, fascinating for its typical Baroque lines and for its beautiful interior. Your first contact with the building is with the façade, the most recent part of the church, built in 1910. If you raise your eyes a little, you can see the beautiful eighteenth-century bell tower, originally in Baroque style, to which the modern façade had to be adapted in order to make the complex more harmonious. Three statues decorate the highest part of the façade. Look closely at the details, for example the Virgin in the centre is holding a cross in her hand, to whom the church owes its name. Inside, the sobriety of the façade is confirmed. The refinement of the architectural structures of the arches characterise the space, which is divided into three naves. According to some sources, the church, perhaps originally smaller, was enlarged in 1572 by Francesco Antonio de Roncio after a miracle. Once inside, you can see the enlarged spaces and the liturgical furnishings. Approaching the brightly lit altar you can admire the Byzantine icon of Our Lady, after whom the church is named. You can appreciate the delicacy of her complexion and the sweetness of her features. The sacred figure is holding a symbolic cross, and is still an object of fervent devotion for the community of believers.
