San Toma Church and Hypogeum

The church of San Toma is an ancient chapter chapel that is mentioned in Vatican documents of 1324. It is located in Massafra in the old San Toma quarter, also known as the Rione dei Nobili, where the old walls of the city can still be seen today.

The facade, with its simple lines, has an entrance with a lunette on the inside of which is the inscription CHA/RI/TAS. As regards the interior, on the main altar there is a 19th century painting depicting the amazement of St Thomas the Apostle, presumably a reworking of an older picture.

In 1727, the Chapter granted the use of the church, under the name Santa Maria della Purificazione , to the Villani Confraternity as an oratory for religious services and spiritual activities. The current building stands over what appears to have been a rupestrian church that was subsequently converted into a burial vault.