| The church dedicated to Madonna del Carmine in Ruffano was built in 1713, on the site of a Greek orthodox church previously dedicated to Saint Mark.
The building, situated just outside the walls of the old town, is rectangular, the single nave ending with the baroque style main Altar.
The old baroque entrance, which is part of the façade, has been restored.
Inside there are neoclassical style altars, with two altar-pieces portraying Our Lady of Good Advice (Madonna del Buon Consiglio), dated 1826, and the Death of Saint Joseph, dated 1832, the work of Maria Rachele Lillo.
There several silver-plated votive offerings in the church.
Underneath the church is the medieval crypt of Saint Mark, carved out of the rock with the vault supported by a central pillar, on this is a picture of the Saint sitting reading the first passage of his gospel.
Originally the crypt would have been bigger, but it was reduced in size in 1500 when the church of Saint Mark was built.
Inside, on the right, opposite Saint Mark, there is a picture of Saint Peter who is wearing a tunic and a cloak and holding a decorated gospel, in the act of making the sign of the cross/performing a Greek blessing.
Apart from these frescoes which are 12th century there is also one of the Annunciation, probably 15th century. |