Convent and Church of the Monacelle

Presenting the elegant Baroque façade of the Church of San Vito Martire and the dome that rises in the background, the former conventual complex of the Carmelite Nuns of Santa Maria Maddalena dei Pazzi, known as Monacelle, was built in the 18th century on what is now Via Cattedrale in Ostuni.\n\nBuilt on the remains of a medieval place of worship, the Church of San Vito is a tribute to Lecce Baroque, evident in its soft, curvilinear façade adorned by the rich central window. Inside, valuable works are preserved, such as the Baroque altars by Francesco Morgese, the 17th-century wooden pulpit, and paintings by Domenico Lettieri.\n\nThe church and convent house the Museum of Preclassical Civilizations of Southern Murgia, inaugurated in 1989—a collection of artifacts found in the Brindisi area, including Pleistocene artifacts from the Grotta di Sant’Angelo, Neolithic ceramics, flint or bone objects, pendants and ornaments from the Grotta di San Biagio, and the remains of Delia, a pregnant woman buried approximately 24,000 years ago.