Basilica della Madonna della Neve, Minor basilica in Copertino, Italy.

The Basilica della Madonna della Neve in Copertino has a facade with medieval hanging arches from the second half of the 13th century, when Manfredi had the church rebuilt. From 1563 lateral naves were added, and in 1580 a pentagonal apse was built. Inside, Romanesque columns with carved capitals support the structure; in the 18th century these columns were encased in square pillars and the truss vault was covered by a suspended ceiling with stuccoes.

A Norman count founded this church at the end of the eleventh century as a religious place for the growing community. Only in modern times, in the early twenty-first century, did the building receive official church recognition as a basilica.

The church is named for the Virgin of the Snows, a title linked to the 15th-century image of the Madonna kept in the left transept altar built in 1630 by Donato Chiarello. The image came from the chapel of San Marco in Copertino Castle and was donated by Manfredi, prince of Taranto. Saint Joseph of Copertino was baptized here on 17 June 1603 at the wooden baptismal font near the exit.

The building is usually open to visitors, but guests should coordinate their visits with religious services held regularly throughout the week. It is best to wear respectful clothing and be mindful of its active use as a place of worship.

The bell tower, begun in 1588 under a contract awarded to Giovanni Maria Tarantino of Nardò, rises 35 metres on a square base. Its lower order is plain, while the upper order carries anthropomorphic capitals in Lecce stone and a frieze of floral and symbolic motifs. Three internal chambers are reached by stairs from the transept.