Salento Leccese

<< Apulia

The Province of Lecce is entirely part of the historical region of Salento, the peninsula that forms the southernmost part of Apulia. This area is mostly flat and it is known for its beautiful coastline and several popular seaside resorts. The province also houses many towns with ancient landmarks and a rich history.

Gallipoli

Gallipoli is a city located on the western coast of Salento in the Province of Lecce, with the old town placed on a small island. Founded by the Messapians, the city was later inhabited by the Greeks and ruled over a large territory, until it was conquered by the Romans. Contested for centuries, the city was damaged and rebuilt various times, and became a flourishing port and a large olive oil market. Gallipoli is now a famous tourist destination and one of the most popular seaside resorts in Italy.

Gallipoli Castle

The Gallipoli Castle is a medieval castle located on the eastern side of the old town of Gallipoli, near the sea. The current structure was built in the Late Middle Ages on the site of a Roman fortification. Reworked and expanded various times, it has recently been restored and now it is open to tourists.

Gallipoli Cathedral

Also known as: Cathedral of Sant’Agata (Cattedrale di Sant’Agata)

The Gallipoli Cathedral (Duomo di Gallipoli) is a historic church located in the center of the old town of Gallipoli. The cathedral was built during the 17th century to replace a previous church, and features a decorated Baroque facade, while the interior is adorned with various artworks. Adjacent to the church is the Diocesan Museum of Gallipoli (Museo Diocesano di Gallipoli), which houses various religious artworks and objects.

Museum of the Sea of Gallipoli

The Museum of the Sea of Gallipoli (Museo del Mare di Gallipoli) is a museum located near the Gallipoli Cathedral. Its collection includes numerous skeletons of fish and other marine creatures, as well as exhibitions of the local environment.

Emanuele Barba Museum

The Emanuele Barba Museum (Museo Emanuele Barba) is a museum of local history, art, archaeology, and nature in the old town of Gallipoli. The museum houses paintings from the 19th and 20th century, ancient weapons and coins, archaeological findings, and a library with many historic books. The museum also has collections dedicated to medicine and natural history.

Spiaggia della Purità

The Spiaggia della Purità is a large beach located on the eastern side of the old town of Gallipoli. The seaside promenade known as Riviera Nazario Sauro runs close to the beach, and here is also the Church of Santa Maria della Purità, a Baroque church erected in the 17th century.

Greek Fountain

The Greek Fountain (Fontana Greca) is a decorated fountain in Gallipoli located on the mainland near the sea, close to the island that hosts the old town. The origin of the fountain is unclear, with critics arguing that it was either built around the 3rd century BCE or during the Renaissance.

Nardò

Nardò is a town located between Lecce and Gallipoli in Salento. Founded by the Messapians and later inhabited by the Romans, Nardò remained for centuries one of the main centers of the area, especially under Byzantine rule. The city is now a tourist destination known for its rich culture and Baroque architecture.

Nardò Cathedral

Also known as: Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta (Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta)

The Nardò Cathedral (Duomo di Nardò) is the main church of the city, erected in the 11th century over a previous structure. Reworked several times, the church features a blend of Romanesque and Baroque elements. Inside, the cathedral houses some medieval frescoes. A museum of religious art is adjacent to the church.

Piazza Salandra

Piazza Salandra is the main square of Nardò, and houses various landmarks. The center of the square is adorned with the Guglia dell’Immacolata, a richly decorated Baroque column erected in the 18th century. To the north are some historic palaces, while on the southern side of Piazza Salandra is the Fontana del Toro (“Fountain of the Bull”), adjacent to the 16th-century Church of San Domenico.

Porto Cesareo

Porto Cesareo is a seaside resort located along the coast of the Ionian Sea in Salento, west of Lecce. A small port inhabited since ancient times, it developed recently as a tourist destination.

Marine Biology Museum of Porto Cesareo

The Marine Biology Museum of Porto Cesareo (Museo di Biologia Marina di Porto Cesareo) is a museum of natural history in Porto Cesareo. The museum features exhibitions on the local enviroment, with hundreds of specimen of marine creatures from the Ionian and Adriatic Sea.

Copertino

Copertino is a town located southwest of Lecce. The city was founded in the Early Middle Ages, and later became one of the main centers in the area. The town features some historic attractions, but it is best known as the hometown of Saint Joseph of Cupertino.

Copertino Castle

The Copertino Castle is a fort built in Copertino during the Late Middle Ages. The structure was expanded and reinforced during the 16th century, and still features imposing walls. The castle can now be visited and is sometimes used for cultural activities.

Basilica of Madonna della Neve

The Basilica of Madonna della Neve is the main church of Copertino, founded in the 11th century and originally erected in Romanesque style. Later expanded and reworked, the church features an elaborate Baroque bell tower and houses several artworks.

Galatina

Galatina is a town located south of Lecce in Salento. The city emerged during the Late Middle Ages and has always remained one of the main centers in the area.

Basilica of Santa Caterina d’Alessandria

The Basilica of Santa Caterina d’Alessandria is a 14th-century church in the center of Galatina. The church blends Gothic and Romanesque elements and features an elaborate portal and a large rose window on the facade. Inside, the basilica is richly adorned with a large cycle of frescoes painted in the 14th and 15th century. The church also features various other artworks, and it has an adjacent cloister also adorned with frescoes.

Grecìa Salentina

Grecìa Salentina is an area of Salento located south of Lecce and inhabited by the Griko people, an ethnic Greek minority who speak a variant of the Greek language. This region has been inhabited by Greeks since the times of Magna Graecia, and throughout the Roman and Byzantine rule over Apulia. Since the Late Middle Ages, the Greek language and culture slowly declined, but it resisted for centuries in Grecìa Salentina. This area now includes a few small towns where people still speak Greek, and the Griko people is officially recognized as an ethnic minority in Italy.

Church of Maria Santissima Assunta

The Church of Maria Santissima Assunta is a historic church in Soleto, a town in Grecìa Salentina located just east of Galatina. The church was built in Baroque style between the 18th and 19th century, but it is best known for the Guglia di Raimondello, a decorated Gothic bell tower erected in the 14th century.

Church of Santo Stefano

The Church of Santo Stefano is a medieval church in Soleto erected in the 14th century. The church is mainly in Romanesque style with some Gothic elements, and inside it features a large cycle of elaborate frescoes painted in the Late Middle Ages.

De’ Monti Castle

The De’ Monti Castle is an ancient castle in Corigliano d’Otranto, a small town in Grecìa Salentina. Built during the Middle Ages, the castle was reworked and turned into a fortified palace and residence of local nobles between the 16th and 17th century. The castle features imposing walls and a richly decorated facade.

Otranto

Otranto is a small town located on the eastern coast of Salento, southeast of Lecce. Founded in ancient times, it was inhabited by the Messapians, the Greeks, and then the Romans, and became one of the main ports connecting Italy with the Eastern Mediterranean. The town kept this role for centuries, and it was contested between local powers and attacked several times. Otranto is now a famous tourist destination and seaside resort with various historic landmarks.

Otranto Castle

The Otranto Castle is a fortress erected in Otranto during the Middle Ages. The castle was later expanded and rebuilt after being damaged, and now still features imposing walls and towers. The fort is now open to tourists and houses cultural exhibitions.

Otranto Cathedral

Also known as: Cathedral of Santa Maria Annunziata (Cattedrale di Santa Maria Annunziata)

The Otranto Cathedral (Cattedrale di Otranto) is the main church of the city, located at the center of the old town. The church was built starting in the 11th century over a previous structure, and features a Romanesque facade with a decorated portal and a large rose window. Among the artworks inside the church, the most notable is the huge 12th-century mosaic that covers the pavement of the cathedral.

Torre Alfonsina

Torre Alfonsina is an imposing tower and city gate in Otranto, located near the sea and built in 1481 after the city was sacked by the Turks. This tower forms part of the fortifications of the city, which were built in various phases in the Late Middle Ages. Some parts of these ancient walls are still present today.

Castro

Castro is a town in Salento, located along the coast south of Otranto. A town of ancient origins, it was an important fortified position in the Middle Ages, while today is a tourist destination and a seaside resort.

Castro Castle

The Castro Castle is a fortress built during the Late Middle Ages in Castro. Expanded and reworked a few times, the castle is still well preserved, and houses an archaeological museum with findings unearthed around the town.

Zinzulusa Cave

The Zinzulusa Cave (Grotta Zinzulusa) is a coastal cave located just north of Castro, and visited by thousands of tourists every year. The cave is located on the sea and features many peculiar rock formations and an unusual environment. Nearby there is another similar cave called Romanelli Cave (Grotta Romanelli).

Ugento

Ugento is a town located in the countryside of southern Salento. Once one of the main centers of the Messapians, it later became a Roman town and remained relevant throughout the Middle Ages. Now it is mainly an agricultural center and a tourist destination.

New Archaeological Museum of Ugento

The New Archaeological Museum of Ugento (Nuovo Museo Archeologico di Ugento) is a museum of local history, art, and archaeology in Ugento. The museum houses numerous archaeological findings unearthed around the town, including many Messapian and Hellenistic objects. Its collection also includes artworks dating from the Renaissance to the 18th century.

Santa Maria di Leuca

Santa Maria di Leuca is a small town located at the southernmost tip of Salento, in the municipality of Castrignano del Capo. Thanks to its position, it is a popular tourist destination and seaside resort.

Basilica Sanctuary of Santa Maria de Finibus Terrae

The Basilica Sanctuary of Santa Maria de Finibus Terrae (Basilica Santuario di Santa Maria de Finibus Terrae) is a religious complex erected in Santa Maria di Leuca during the 18th century. The church is located on a promontory overlooking the sea and it is a pilgrimage site. Next to the sanctuary is a tall lighthouse, regarded as the symbol of the town.