This church, which is dedicated to the Holy Cross (Latin “Santa Croce”), draws its patronage from the cross on which Jesus Christ died. The veneration of the Holy Cross goes back to a large extent to Saint Helena, who was the mother of Emperor Constantine the Great (who recognized Christianity as a religion after his victory at the “Milvian Bridge” in front of Rome and in the year 312 for a long time the persecution ended with the “tolerance edict” of Milan). In the early fourth century she undertook a pilgrimage to the Holy Land (Israel / Palestine) and from there brought numerous relics with her to Europe, including the "True Cross" on which Jesus Christ was crucified. Helena is therefore often depicted with a cross as an attribute.
The church celebrates the festival of the discovery, public presentation and veneration of the Holy Cross – called “Exaltation of the Cross” – on September 14th.