Physical evidence of dedication rites in rock churches of Basilicata and Apulia (Italy). Some case studies

This article analyzes the physical evidence of the rite of dedication, collecting some case studies, coming from a large investigation on walls, columns, altars and vaults of the rock churches of Basilicata and Apulia, and compares them to other regions and foreign countries cases. We’ll see the colour, the shape and the materials of the surviving dedication crosses, the former presence of relics on the altars, inscriptions and other evidence of dedication, but also some clear deconsecration signs. The article aims to bring to the attention this rite, to give a correct reading of its rare physical evidence in the rupestrian context, where they are often misunderstood, and tries to define a recognition method, to understand and read better the stratifications of a church.