Static furniture - (Puglia)

Archconfraternity of the SS. Sacrament

In the extreme apsidal part of the mother church, in the presbytery behind the old high altar, at the height of the choir, there is a majestic wooden machine of evident Baroque style. It takes up almost all of the space in width, from wall to wall, and stops with the cusp a short distance from the ceiling. It is a two-storey structure plus the base, of painted and gilded wood, with four statues placed on the sides, like pinnacles. Six variously decorated columns follow the recesses and protrusions of the first floor, while in the upper one a system of pilasters continues the game of columns upwards. Two openings on the façade contain, at the bottom, a niche with the statue of St. Michael the Archangel and, in the upper order, a large painting of the Madonna della Scala, both patrons of Massafra. The whole is completed by a rich decoration of frames, cartouches, festoons and rosettes. The brief description gives an idea of the complexity of this important work, which the recent restoration has restored to its original charm.