Necropoli medioevale presso la Cripta del Crocifisso

Eight medieval graves cut into the rock beside the Cripta del Crocifisso in Ugento were uncovered during excavations in 2004. The burials preserve evidence of repeated use, including one grave in which a curved roof tile covered the skull.

Why it matters

The necropolis documents burial practices associated with the medieval church beside it. Its position near the crypt’s original entrance links the graves with the devotional setting of the site.

What to notice

The eight fossa tombs were cut into the rock at a depth of about three metres. Several contained successive burials, with the bodies laid supine and arms folded across the chest. In Tomb 5, a comb-edged roof tile, known as a pettinata, covered the skull; the municipality interprets it as a protective gesture for the deceased. Stone covers remained on two graves, T2 and T7. Additional burials were recorded on the plateau southwest of the crypt and in front of its present entrance.

Context and history

The necropolis was excavated in 2004 near the original entrance of the Cripta del Crocifisso, a rock-cut church with medieval frescoes. The church’s oldest painted cycle includes kneeling donor figures, while the nearby graves provide evidence of burial around the sacred site. The municipality dates the tombs broadly to the medieval period.