Aragonese Castle of Otranto - 4 Things to Know Before Visiting

The cathedral of Santa Maria Annunziata is the most important Catholic place of worship in the city of Otranto, the mother church of the homonymous archdiocese. In July 1945, Pope Pius XII elevated the cathedral to the dignity of a minor basilica. The cathedral, built on the remains of a Messapian village, a Roman Domus, and an early Christian temple, was founded in 1068 by the Norman bishop Guglielmo. It is a synthesis of different architectural styles including Byzantine, Early Christian, and

The lighthouse of Punta Palascìa, also known as Capo d’Otranto is commonly known as the easternmost point of the Italian peninsula; the tip that extends into the Otranto Canal. Already in thePeutingerian table, the settlement is reported under the name of Ydrunte. The lighthouse stands not far from where, up to the 19th century, there was a watchtower built during the Middle Ages.

The Baia dei Turchi , a few kilometers north of Otranto , is the place where, according to tradition, the Turkish warriors landed during the siege of the city of Otranto in the 15th century ( Battle of Otranto ). Sandy and unspoiled, the bay belongs to the precious protected oasis of the Alimini Lakes , one of the most important ecosystems of Salento and Puglia.

The Alimini lakes or Limini lakes are two Apulian lakes located north of the city of Otranto, in the province of Lecce. The two lakes are connected by a canal, called Lu Strittu . The name of the place derives from the ancient Greek and Byzantine name λίμνη, which translated into Italian means lake, swamp, or basin. It is almost completely surrounded by a rocky strip, richly covered by thick pine forests and Mediterranean scrub.

The Zinzulusa is a natural coastal cave located along the Salento coast between Castro and Santa Cesarea Terme, one of the best known anchialine caves in southern Italy. The name of the cave derives from the dialect word " zinzuli ", rags, and is due to the karst formations, in particular stalactites , which hang from the ceiling as if they were hanging rags. The formation of the cave, which occurred due to marine erosion, dates back to the Pliocene period.

The castle of Lecce is located near the city center, more precisely a little further east of it, near Piazza Sant'Oronzo. It was first built in the Middle Ages, and was strengthened by Charles V in 1539, to a design by the architect Gian Giacomo dell’Acaya. Although it has undergone several rebuilds over the centuries, the structure preserves its original trapezoidal base with four massive arrowhead bastions on each corner. An internal courtyard separates two concentric buildings.