San Giuseppe Sanctuary

The construction of the San Giuseppe Sanctuary was planned in 1753, the year of the beatification of Fra Giuseppe Desa. In 1754, based on the design of Copertino's Adriano Preite, work began; a section of the city walls, the church of San Salvatore, and the Carlangiana residence had to be demolished. The work was completed in 1758.\n\nThe building has a central plan and is covered by a vault. In 1872 it was expanded with the construction of the current apse. An inscription on the exterior of the apse mentions the builder Quintino Lupo. The interior is sober, enriched by elegant stucco work, contrasting with a concave facade of medium height but sinuous due to the large modules and volutes in carparo stone.\n\nThe church has three altars. The main altar, rebuilt in 1845 by Pope Pius IX, was awarded the privilege of a \"daily and perpetually privileged altar\" in 1873. The same altar was then redone in 1965, while the second altar to the right, originally dedicated to the Madonna del Carmine, has been dedicated to the Immaculate Conception since 1930. The third altar to the left, currently dedicated to San Francesco d’Assisi, was formerly dedicated to San Salvatore, in memory of the ancient chapel demolished in 1754.\n\nIn 1930, after a long absence caused by the Napoleonic suppressions and pre-unification disorders, the Frati Minori Conventuali returned to Copertino, and they were entrusted with the care of the Sanctuary. Next to the church, the brethren of the saint built the new convent and the Seraphic Seminary. Inside the Sanctuary there are numerous relics of the Saint, including his heart, which arrived in Copertino from Osimo on April 7, 1953, and is kept in the Stable where he was born four centuries ago.