The Church of San Giovanni Battista

The Church of San Giovanni Battista dating back to the X century stands in front of the Centopietre. The building is reminiscent of the bloody battle between Christians and Mori of 24 June 877. In 1532 was downsized the input to the current dimensions and inserted an architrave engraved with an inscription in Latin, now unreadable. On this epigraph scholars have given different interpretations. "Guided by the protection of the Holy, here King Carlo, with a large army humbled in(their power) hordes of Moors". This church has been for a long time ignored, closed to worship and destined to the cemetery of Patù. It is assumed that the sacred building has been built in time and with Byzantine measures but on a Greek temple-Roman. The interior has a basilica with three naves, one central and two side divided by the central from 5 square pillars plus two adjacent to walls, surmounted by a capital truncated pyramid upside down which engage the round arches; the internal measures show the use of the byzantine foot (cm 31,5). In the III century B.C. when the Salento was conquered by Rome Vereto, became a municipality. On the left entering the church we can see a large block of marble, a funeral cippus ROMANO on which we can read in Latin: M Fadio M. F.// Fab. Valerino// Post-mortem FadiusValerianus/pater // et Mina Valerian mater// L-D.D.D-(Locum DecurionisDant Decree). Translation: Marco Fadio//Valerino//After Death//Marco Valerian father//and Mina Valerian mother//set down with decree of the Decurion.