The
church
of
Santa
Maria
Maggiore
in
Siponto
(province
of
Foggia)
has,
since
the
19th
century,
been
the
object
of
numerous
historical
and
architectural
studies
aimed
at
solving
the
problem
of
the
building's
chronology
and
particularly
at
identifying
the
real
function
of
the
lower
building,
commonly
known
as
the
"crypt".
Little
attention
has
so
far
been
devoted
to
the
numerous
ancient
architectonic
elements
-
especially
Corinthian
capitals
-
which
decorate
the
interior
of
the
rooms.
Inside
the
upper
building
there
are
five
Asiatic
Corinthian
capitals
of
the
third
to
fourth
centuries
A.D.
A
third,
lyre-shaped,
Byzantine
capital
of
the
same
date
was
reused
as
a
flower
box
inside
the
eastern
apse.
Inside
the
lower
building,
the
six
small
nave
columns
have
Corinthian
soft
acanthus-leaf
capitals
of
the
third
to
fourth
centuries
A.D.
The
small
altar
in
the
"crypt"
is
also
supported
by
a
Corinthian
soft
acanthus-leaf
capital
datable
to
the
first
century
A.D.
