Integrated geo-scientific surveys at the Basilica of Our Lady in Copertino (Lecce, Southern Italy).

The Basilica of Our Lady of the Snows in Copertino was built in 1088 by the will of the Norman Count Goffredo of Conversano and was originally entitled to the Virgin. In 1255 Manfredi, Prince of Taranto and Count of Copertino elevated it to basilica entitling it to the Virgin of the Snows. It is the mother church of Copertino, already directed basilica and in 2011 elevated to the rank of minor basilica. GPR survey was undertaken inside the churches at Copertino village, located a few kilometres southwest of Lecce (Italy). The purpose of the survey was to obtain information about the existence of ancient structures beneath the churches. No document or writing exists to confirm the presence of structures under the church. However, there are several oral testimonies handed down over the centuries that suggest the presence of these ancient structures. Survey was carried out using a IDS Hi Mod georadar system, incorporating the dual band 200-600 MHz centre frequency antennae. The GPR time slices were constructed from closely spaced parallel profiles. The time slices, computed from averaging radar reflections over vertical time windows several nanoseconds thick, are used to map subsoil features associated with the structures, probably of anthropogenic origin. To facilitate the interpretation of the results, a three-dimensional image was constructed using closely spaced parallel profiles, which are linearly interpolated.