The Salento, the 'heel of the Italian boot', stretches from Taranto in the north to Otranto in the very south-east.
Nature is characterized by picturesque beaches and wild-romantic steep coasts, rich architecture, art and culture certainly add to fascinating travelers from all over the world.
The Salento, the 'heel of the Italian boot', stretches from Taranto in the north to Otranto in the very south-east.
Nature is characterized by picturesque beaches and wild-romantic steep coasts, rich architecture, art and culture certainly add to fascinating travelers from all over the world.
While on holiday in the Salento you should not miss out on visiting Otranto, Italy's south-easternmost town. The roots of Italian way of life grow very deep there.
Tourists may become aware of this when they realize that the break at lunchtime really is rather long. In the evening, however, the town comes alive again. Otranto’s Norman town wall and "Santa Annunziata", the Norman cathedral dating from 1088 and adorned with thousands and thousands of tesserae, are fascinating.
Not only Italy’s easternmost town lies in the Salento, so does the southernmost point of the Italian boot, which is at Santa Maria di Leuca, to be precise. What is more and special is that at Punta Ristola, the southern cape, the Adriatic and Ionian Seas meet.
Not only this spectacle of nature makes it such a fascinating place, so do the numerous grottos you can visit and, of course, the myths it is shrouded in. According to an Old Greek legend, Siren Leucasia lived there and she is said to have given Leuca its name.
Furthermore, tradition has it that Saint Peter set foot on land there. It is thanks to him that Basilica Santa Maria de Finibus Terrae was built right next to the majestic lighthouse on the cape. Visitors should linger in the spacious church square for a while to take in the impressive building with the faro in the background and the fascinating setting of sea and land.
The Virgin Mary is said to have saved shipwrecked seamen from drowning and that is why "Santa Maria" precedes the name of "Leuca".
The owner of holiday home Casa Finis Terrae told us that Europe’s longest aqueduct, acquedotto pugliese (244 km in length), ends at the cape. Several times per year it is opened to reduce water pressure and the water then cascades over and down the rocks. A spectacle you should not miss out on, if you are in the area.
The music festival "La Notte della Taranta" has been taking place in the Salento since 1998. It centers on the pizzica, a rapid and rhythmic folk dance of the tarantella dance tradition, as well as on the characteristic music of the Salento and its fusion with other music styles, ranging from jazz to classical, world and rock music.
Every day from August 8th to 27th, there are concerts and dance performances by traditional groups, but also by the international world music scene in different places in the Salento.
The closing act of the festival takes place in the small town of Melpignano: a great final concert with local and international music stars performing on stage. Every year, thousands of visitors listen to the sounds of the tambourines filling the air of the Apulian summer night.
Settlement of the port on the Ionian Sea in the northern Salento dates back to times before Christ. The main attraction of Taranto is, without doubt, impressive Castello Aragonese, a castle built by the Byzantines in 900 AD.
In the centro storico, which is located on an island and accessible via Ponte Girevole, you find remains of Greek monuments, such as the columns of a Doric temple.
Other points of interest at Taranto: the National Archaeological Museum, the Greco-Roman necropolises and the Crypt of the Redeemer.
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