Built in the first half of the 6th century in the oldest part of the city, this was the first basilica dedicated to the Virgin Mary. In the middle of the 17th century, it was rebuilt on a central plan conceived by Cosimo Fanzago.
The ancient sacred stone with an engraved cross found in this church gave it its most common name. The interior has a valuable eighteenth-century terracotta and majolica tiled flooring.
In the crypt we see signs of the early Christian basilica and the remains of a Roman mosaic. A Medieval bell tower stands in front of the atrium, the 11th-century remains of the original church, the oldest of the city.
At the sides of the façade there is the Chapel of the Saviour, restored in the second half of the 18th century with an excellent altar in polychrome marble and a majolica floor.