Chiesa dello Spirito Santo (Church of the Holy Spirit), Ostuni

The Church of the Holy Spirit was constructed between 1628 and 1637 under the orders of Bishop Andrea Perbenedetti of Venosa. Officially a parish, it didn’t have regular parish priests or curates from 1631 until 1663, when Bishop Carlo Personè put it under the care of Don Matteo Lotesoriere. In the 18th century, priests were appointed by the Chapter until 1792, when Bishop Giovan Battista Brancaccio elevated it to a royal parish, leaving the appointment of parish priests to the crown until 1854.

Despite undergoing significant restoration in the 20th century, the church has retained its original external structure. It features a modest design with a façade that includes a broken pediment, displaying the stone coat of arms of Bishop Vincenzo Meligne, and a door dating back to 1450. The interior layout consists of a single nave with stone vaults and lunettes. There are four altars: on the left, the first altar (1670) is dedicated to Saint Oronzo, and the second to Saint Anna. On the right side, there’s an altar with a 17th-century wooden statue of the Madonna del Buon Consiglio and another with papier-mâché statues of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Saint Margaret.

Behind the main altar, you'll find the papier-mâché statues of the Madonna del Rosario di Pompei, seated on a throne, flanked by Saints Dominic and Catherine of Siena. The only canvas in the church depicts the Virgin with Child, likely painted by Fra Giacomo da San Vito after 1667. Among the notable statues are a wooden figure of the Risen Christ, mentioned for the first time in 1876, a papier-mâché statue of Saint Francis Xavier (formerly owned by the Ayroldi family), and a bell adorned with a papier-mâché statue of the Immaculate Conception from the early 20th century.