The Serra of Cianci, 201 meters above sea level, is the largest high ground in the province of Lecce, part of the famous Serre Salentine, reliefs of modest height that go across Salento from Northwest to Southeast.   The name Serra of Cianci refers to that part of the greenhouse, in the territory of Alessano, that further north is called Serra dei Peccatori and then Serra Magnone, both in the territory of Specchia. It characterizes the territory of Specchia and Alessano and constitutes a continuous morphological sign in rural landscape with olive trees.   It is in fact organized with systems of terraces planted with olive trees, some of them centuries old, with trunks twisted and wrinkled, dominated by stone walls, pajare  and the evergreen vegetation of the ...

Near Piazza Castello, crossing Via della Giudecca, is a scenic area of ​​the old town consisted of narrow alleys and courtyard houses, for the most part still whitewashed, following the traditional use of lime, linked to hygienic and sterilizing potentialities of milk of lime. The neighborhood is built around Via Santa Maria del Foggiaro leading to Via delle Muraglie. It deals with the old Jewish neighborhood of Alessano, where the presence of this resourceful community is attested from the 14th century until the beginning of the 16th, when the Jews left the Regno di Napoli following the edicts of expulsion of Ferdinando il Cattolico in 1510 and Charles V in 1541. In the area of ​​Via della Giudecca was their meeting place, the Synagogue, destroyed as a result of the edict of 1510 ...

According to tradition, St. Peter, traveling to Rome, stopped at Leuca and founded the first Christian church dedicated to the Saviour on the site of a pagan temple dedicated to Minerva. The church became one of the major pilgrimage centers of ancient times and the middle Ages.   However, the dedication to Santa Maria di Leuca goes back to the fourth century, when Mary saved the fishermen during a storm. The church have been under many reconstructions over the centuries, especially because of repeated attacks by the Turks or Saracens. As a result of the last renovation, carried out between 1720 and 1755 by Monsignor Giovanni Giannelli, the structure is disguised as a fortress to hide it from eventual destructions.   Going beyond the three actual entrance portals, ...

The Santuario di Santa Marina, located in the hamlet of Ruggiano, is part of a medieval sanctuary remodeled several times over the centuries. The facade looks simple and linear, based on a unique order of Ionic pilasters that mark the aspect in two symmetrical and vertical registers, and ends up with horizontal beams and a large triangular pediment with frame moldings of a bull, a throat and teeth. In addition to this sober setting is the rococo sculptural ornamentation of the portals, the windows and the vertex of the tympanum. The interior has two naves and reflects the particular structure of the facade.   The church keeps notable works including a wooden statue and a fresco depicting the image of the owner represented as a young virgin who dominates a monstrous dragon ...

On the south of Specchia, on the outskirts of the village, in "Verardo", near the "Falcone-Borsellino", Park you can visit an interesting archaeological area, made up of numerous cuts in the rocky outcrops of different characteristics and origins.   Four "pit” tombs were found in the area; the excavation was directly carried out in the bedrock outcropping and oriented from east to west. During the excavations, three resulted as previously violated in the modern age, but some findings show that they date back between late antiquity and medieval age. The fourth tomb kept the remains of eight individuals who died just some short intervals from one another as well as a considerable amount of other remains from previous burials.   The area is now part of ...

Along the seafront of Leuca, at the end of the nineteenth century, engineers Ruggeri and Rossi and the architect Arditi tested their creativity by building numerous villas for the bourgeoisie and the local nobility, with disparate exotic styles including: from Oriental to Arabic, from Pompeii to Gothic to Art Nouveau. If at the end of the nineteenth century, there were 43 houses, some of them did not survive the war and others have been renovated in a different way. Among the most important are Villa Ruggeri and Villa Meridiana (Art Nouveau style), Villa Mellacqua (neo-Gothic style), Villa Sangiovanni (Egyptian style) and Villa Episcopo (Chinese style). Each villa is furnished, according to the custom of those times, with a family chapel, a large garden, a park with pine and palm trees. ...

Strolling along the seafront of Leuca, you will come across the poorly preserved remains of a coastal tower. The tower stands on a promontory originally far from the center of Leuca, but currently included in the urbanized area. The structure, of about 30 m in diameter, presents a truncated cone base in carparo and above it; a curb expands in a cylindrical manner in tuff blocks. It features a terrace with battlements used for positioning the artilleries. It is generally assigned into the category of "hammer" towers, although compared to the latter, the Omo Morto presents a peculiarity: in place of the embrasure at the base is a door. Today, the upper part of the tower is misshapen and it is only possible to admire the exterior masonry. At the end of the 17th century, it was ...

The crypt-cave is situated in the immediate vicinity of the Church of Madonna delle Rasce, about 2 km north of the Sanctuary of Santa Maria di Leuca.   It is a typical Basilian cave comprising a circular compartment about 2 meters high and a diameter of about 3 meters. It is accessible by a very narrow passage in the rock, through which leads to a corridor that directs to another small circular room, probably used as a dormitory. The use of the area for residential purposes seems evidenced also by the presence of channels for collecting rain water, the remains of small underground tanks, and etc. ...

The church was built in honor of Our Lady of Grace in 1679, along Via dei Pellegrini, in an area where there was once a small village which arose as a result of the destruction of the city of Vereto.   The edifice, with a single hall and covered with a star vault with lunettes and allegorical masks, presents a very poor condition; only a rudimentary altar in tuff, topped by a Marian image, is preserved.   In the surrounding area, the church attests to the presence of numerous caves and medieval tombs, which retain no trace of the dead for it has already been opened and robbed in the past.   ...

The Church of San Giuseppe, located halfway between Salignano and Santa Maria di Leuca, is established along one of the main transport routes of the Pilgrims, who at this point could see from afar - for the first time - the final destination of their journey: the Sanctuary of Leuca. Many of them could find refreshments and accommodations in some purposely set up areas in the immediate vicinity of the building of worship.   The church was built between 1617 and 1630. The construction took so long for the fact that after a few years of the initial works, they were interrupted by the arrival of the Algerians in the Capo di Leuca and was resumed only later.   Today the church is surrounded by a large pine grove and is open on the feast of St. Joseph.   ...

The tower of Salignano is a massive construction of 20 meters in diameter and 15 meters high made of regular tuff blocks on a circular base. It has a truncated cone expansion with a scarped basement that reaches almost half the entire building. It has ten machicolations and five embrasures. At the top of the structure is a circular lookout corridor that protrudes on the corbels it was molded on. ...

The church, dedicated to Madonna Assunta, has a rectangular plan with a single hall, a simple facade and a small bell tower. The interior was decorated with frescoes, today highly deteriorated, including an interesting fresco depicting St. Paul with the sword on which a snake is wrapped around while at the foot of the saint is a scorpion surmounted by two intertwined snakes in the form of caduceus. This particular iconography of the Saint associates it with the typical phenomenon of Salento tarantism: referring to an episode in which, according to tradition, St. Paul, while in Malta, was bitten by a snake, but the poison did not cause him any damage, for this he obtained the title of protector against bites of poisonous animals and, consequently, the patron saint of tarantate.   ...

The site, docking reference of the Vereto settlement, comprises a practical and safe docking for its much protected location from winds and abundant fresh water springs. Underwater, there are remains of a breakwater, obtained with the accumulation of stones in the area for a jetty of about 70 m, starting from the shore. The archaeological remains of the pier are visible at the base of the steep slope that leads to the creek.  It deals with two stretches of foundations and walkways serving the landing blocks in carparo.   The Messapic port underwent profound transformations in the Republican era, when in the second century BC, some service facilities were built. From the simple anchorage, it was turned into a landing facility. The port remained in use until the fourteenth ...

Along the road that from Patù leads towards Marina di San Gregorio and to the remains of the Messapian-Roman port, following a path that follows the rural road conditions, characterized by red soil, dry stone walls, olive trees and distinct dry stone lodgings, a lush pine forest can be found, ideal for a short break before resuming the journey towards the sea. ...

The Centopietre is a peculiar construction, situated in front of the church of San Giovanni Battista, on the outskirts of Patù, in the Campo Re. It has a rectangular shape (7.20 x 5.5 x 2.6 m) and consists of 100 large squared tuff blocks and 26 slabs of tuff disposed to cover a double sloping. The structure has two entrances, one on the east side and one on the south side. Inside, there are frescoes in poor condition dating back to the thirteenth-fourteenth century, a period in which the monument was used as a place of worship by Eastern monks. Among these is a Crucifixion placed on the north wall, and later framed in a picturesque layer together with san Giorgio on the same side but in the west nave. Along the western wall is a succession of saints under arches held up by ...

The interesting Palazzo Liborio Romano, in the main square of Patù, is a neoclassical building connected to the memory of one of the most important people of the Renaissance period in Salento. The palace, built at the behest of Alessandro Romano, father of Liborio, in the first decades of the nineteenth century, had the dual function of a residence to the large Romano family and a symbol of power and wealth. The main facade looks much higher than the rest of the building, reinforcing grandeur of the structure. In 1961, on the centenary of the Unità d'Italia, a plaque to commemorate the exploits of Liborio was placed Next to the main portal. The large courtyard leads to the Doric-style portico streamlined by Tuscan columns. This leads into a circular room with a domed ...

The rural church of the Crocifisso was built in 1651, located along the street of Via dei Pellegrini. It presents a simple gabled facade framed between two powerful pilasters. In the lateral part stands a small bell tower. The interior is characterized by a single nave divided into two bays with a star vault.   It presents modest decorations in which emerges, however, the splendid altar of 1670 decorated with polychrome plaster, by a sculptor of Alessano origin Placido Buffelli, containing a painting of Christ's face. The church houses an ancient crucifix and a statue of the dead Christ. ...

Located on top of the Serra dei Cianci, in a striking and panoramic position, is the Monastero della Santissima Trinità - Clarisse. Recognized by the Diocese as a place of hospitality and spiritual support, for its geographical position, the monastery is situated on the east of Italy, place for prayer meetings and cultural studies with Orthodox churches.   The monastery is open to people who want to experience silence, solitude and contemplation. For this purpose, facilities such as a large open area behind the church, a guesthouse with eight beds are made available, with the possibility of self-prepared packed lunches or use the kitchen, and a large hall for conferences. ...

The small church was rebuilt in the sixteenth century on the Serra dei Cianci, along Via dei Pellegrini.   The church is mentioned for the first time in a document from 1218, when it was part of the property belonging to the abbey of St. Nicola of Casole.   It has a simple rectangular plan and a single nave. The numerous interventions endured by the church over the centuries have totally altered its original appearance. Today, the church is in a very bad state of conservation and maintenance.   ...

The Bosco Boceto is located outside the town of Alessano and occupies a part of the escarpment that from the top of the Serra dei Cianci goes downwards the town of Crocifisso.   The forest is characterized by the typical vegetation of the area, made up mainly by the Mediterranean shrubs. We can distinguish the very dense coppice, the low undergrowth (suffruttici and shrubs), the high shrubbery with trees that can reach 4-5 meters in height, including oaks, kermes oak, olives, arbutus, laurel and many others.   ...

The small church, dedicated to Our Lady of Constantinople, was built in 1628. The façade is simple, with pitched roof and a unique entrance portal surmounted by a niche.   The corners are emphasized by an ashlars pattern. On its peak is an elegant motif of blind arches. Inside, it has several Byzantine-inspired frescoes and a painting of 1700 depicting the image of the Virgin and Child, oil on large canvas, made by an unknown artist in the first half of eighteenth century. On the sides are Sant’Oronzo, Sant’Antonio Abate, San Leonardo and Santi Medici   Leaning against the chapel is a partially ruined building, probably served as accommodation and refuge for pilgrims.   ...

The complex of Santa Maria di Leuca of Belvedere, also known locally as Leuca Piccola, is an articulate religious structure built in the site of a preexisting church in 1685 by Baron Don Annibale Capece.   The existing church is equipped with an impressive pronaos, consisting of a monumental body with large arches that leads directly into the small church, with a sacristy at the back.   The interior is decorated with seventeenth-eighteenth century frescoes depicting Saint Lazarus, Saint Lucia, St. Horace, Santa Barbara, Santa Marina, St. Francis of Paola, St. Paschal Baylon, San Gennaro and San Leonardo.  On the vault, the four Evangelists (St. Matthew, St. Luke, St. Mark and St. John) are painted, linked by the initials JHS (Jesus Saviour of the World).   Through ...

Outside the town of Giuliano, it is possible to visit the Romanesque Chiesa di San Pietro. The structure has a rectangular plan with a single nave and semicircular apse. It was built with masonry blocks in double vestment using also some reusable blocks from funeral buildings of the Roman period from the ancient site of Vereto, including a precious Doric frieze with a triglyph and two metopes with ox skulls. Inside, there are traces of several layers of plaster painted with figures of Byzantine saints, naval graffiti, and an inscription in Greek, evidence of the passage of pilgrims who perhaps would stop here to rest before heading to Santa Maria di Leuca. Behind the apse are many medieval graves and a well, probably used for Byzantine baptismal.   ...

On the southern outskirts of the city center is a crypt named, basing on the only surviving frescoes, the Cristo Pantocreatore. The crypt, dates back to the ninth century, appears isolated in a private garden protected by massive stone walls. Through a staircase dug into the rock, descending by about 3 m to access a second garden, also closed, which presents a series of mangers at the sides, a niche dug into the rock and on one side an opening corresponding to a door flanked by two windows. The entrance leads to the crypt, supported by two pillars (one recently built), from where the apse can be recognized, in deep plane, adorned with a simple altar in stone, typical of the Greek-Byzantine rite. Placed on the altar is the only remaining fresco depicting the Cristo Pantocreatore, perhaps ...

The mother church of Giuliano, dedicated to San Giovanni Crisostomo, was built in the sixteenth century on a preexisting building. The numerous restorations and renovations that it had been put through over the centuries have led to its current appearance: a façade in neoclassic style with pilasters and central door surmounted by an epigraph with a dedication, all results of work carried out at the end of nineteenth century. The interior, with three naves, is rich in operas created in different periods. Some frescoes of 1564 and a bas-relief in Leccese stone of 1612 depicting "the Mercy" are remains of the oldest phase of the church. The side chapels are home to Baroque altars topped with some paintings of great artistic value. The stucco ...

The feudal castle of Giuliano was built in the early 16th century in the ancient heart of the town. The structure has retained its original appearance and the moat, still visible, has a citrus grove. It has the typical features of military architecture of the sixteenth century. On either side of the main facade, with its curtains and four high vertical ramparts, rise two square towers. An arched bridge allows one to go beyond the moat and enter the castle, and is distributed around a large central courtyard onto which all the rooms on the ground floor and the upper floor are facing. The ground floor was used for productive activities (stables, barns, warehouses and rooms for servants), while the first floor was intended for the residence of the feudal lord with the noble rooms. The ...

In an area of San Dana is the crypt of St. Apollonia, dating back to the sixth-ninth century. Saint Apollonia is represented in a fresco on a side wall, holding the palm of martyrdom and a white lily, surrounded by clouds and angels. The crypt has a single compartment of an irregular quadrilateral shape, entirely dug into the rock. Inside is a little cell wherein a seat was retrieved. This element has made speculations regarding the premature dating of the crypt, linked to the presence of some anchorite/recluse; others, instead, speculate that the construction of the crypt occurred in the sixth century, in connection to the presence of Italian-Greek monks.   There are some frescoes, dating from the XI and XVIII century, of which decipherable are, aside from St. Apollonia, the Mary ...

The chapel, dedicated to Santa Barbara, was built in the thirteenth and fourteenth century, inside a feminine convention complex of Clarisse and Benedictine, of which ruins in the vicinity are used for agricultural purposes. The facade has an entrance door with a monolithic architrave surmounted by a lunette, probably once painted. Above the lunette was a rose window, now occluded by blocks of tuff. The chapel has a unique rectangular interior plan with a semicircular apse. The latter appears barred by tuff blocks, from the destruction of the apse, facing east. Along the north wall is a door that connected the church with the adjacent monastic area.  Traces of preserved frescoes are really rare: on the northern wall are traces of a Deesis: Mary, Christ and St. John the Baptist, ...

The rock settlement of Macurano extends on the sides of Serra of Alessano, about 550 m NNE of the ancient town of Montesardo, in an area now dotted with farms. The complex consists of 31 cavities, dug into the limy rocks; some relevant to the original core, the oldest, while the others are related to the latest arrangements and particularly to the fortified farms, whose construction has involved excavation of the cavities functional to the activities connected to them. The equipped area corresponds to the oldest part of the settlement. The most recurrent type is the unicellular cave with an elliptical or sub-circular plan, only once quadrangular, with a Lytic pillar leaning against the back wall. The entrances, of rectangular form, are often provided with steps linking the decking ...

The small church of Santo Stefano, built near the settlement of Macurano, was built in 1585 and has a belfry on the facade and a fresco of St. Stephen on the back wall, with some votive inscriptions on the visible sides under the layer of actual plaster. ...

Don Tonino Bello died in Molfetta in 1993. He was buried in his home town of Alessano, in the municipal cemetery. The tomb is a destination of pilgrims from various parts of Italy and they often leave a memory of their passage. Asmall wall with a symbolic door was built around the tomb, symbolically oriented to the east, next to which is an inscription of the phrase: "Rise, builders of Peace!", reminiscent of the greeting used by Don Tonino to address the National Conference of Pax Christi. Still around the tomb, stands an olive tree, a symbol of peace, on whose branches the pilgrims have hung rosaries, Franciscan Tau, miraculous medals, and more, as a sign of devotion, or to ask for intercession. ...

In the birthplace of Don Tonino Bello, just across from the eighteenth-century Cathedral, sits the Museo Internazionale Mariano d'Arte Contemporanea. The museum houses over 350 Mariana-themed works of art, made by the most important exponents of Italian and International arts including Salvatore Fiume, Ernesto Treccani, Luigi Guerricchio and Alessandro Nastasio. The works possess both the legibility of the sacred and the tendency to experiment of contemporary art.   ...

In the oldest part of the city, in Piazza Castello in Alessano, in front of the Palazzo Ducale, the striking facade of Palazzo San Giovanni can be seen. The façade, characterized by a rusticated "diamond point", was inspired by premium models like the Neapolitan Palazzo Sanseverino (1455-1470), later transformed into the Church of Gesu Nuovo, and like the Palazzo dei Diamanti in Ferrara, built in 1492, as well as local models such as the San Vincenzo Tower of Presicce, Arcuti Palace and Palazzo della Zecca in Soleto.   These new architectural models, product of a blend of military and residential architecture, seem to be linked to particular clientele of knights and merchants, especially Jewish merchants (the picturesque district of ...

This mansion of the sixteenth century is located in the center of Alessano. The facade has a portal with a round arch and an elegant frame that leans on two pillars with capitals. On the ground floor are four arched windows, while the main floor is animated by a succession of windows with architraves. The peak is composed of a slightly protruding cornice with hanging arches on corbels. The palace now houses the Public Library and the town‘s Pro Loco, used as a cultural center for events and conferences.   ...

The majestic facade of the church of San Salvatore, overlooking Piazza Don Tonino Bello, has three entrances: on the middle one, bigger in size, is a plaque and the coat of arms of Alessano. The interior is in a Latin cross form divided by pillars into three naves and has paintings of excellent workmanship such as "Saint Tryphon in glory" by Oronzo Letizia, and a painting attributed to Caravaggio school by Paolo Finoglio "Archangel Raphael and Tobias." The wooden pulpit of 1879 is valuable, by Giuseppe De Cupertinis. In the right wing is the altar of St. Tryphon, the patron saint of the city. ...

Defined as "House of the Pilgrims", a structure of the XVII century was probably an accommodation for travelers heading to Leuca. The structure features, like Masseria Mustazza, cruciferi signs engraved on the exterior walls and perforated stones for horse stopover. The structure is situated at the end section of a road with ruts traces on the banks of rock, which develop for a length of about 50 meters and are bounded by some square blocks, fixed vertically on the ground. It is probably one of the last surviving tracts of the ancient Via dei Pellegrini.   ...

The crypt, which recently underwent a restoration, was built by Italian-Greek monks in the ninth century, in a farm-monastery complex, dependent from the Abbey of Santa Maria de Amito. Entering the hypogeum through two staircases that lead to a space dug in the rock and of modest height, punctuated by the presence of disordered brick pillars and columns of varying shape, mostly taken from the natural rocky bank, other from recent renovations. The structure is articulated around a central square space, visible from outside through standing within the belfry. The central space is occupied by a presbytery with octagonal columns and balustrade, inside of which is an eighteenth-century altar with a Byzantine Mary in the center. Along the perimeter walls are visible traces of occluded altars, ...

The structure is a farm complex, remodeled several times over the centuries, with an adjacent oak forest. The farm, known from documents of the nineteenth century, but certainly older, is characterized by an environment of a horseshoe layout. Many crosses are still visible on the walls of the building, carved out of devotion by the devotees who stopped to take shelter, to eat or simply to pray, before reaching the final destination of their trip: the Sanctuary of Santa Maria di Leuca. Semicircular perforated stones are preserved on the facade – known as scapole - used to tie the horses during the stop. The woody area is locally known as Bosco Martella, and is an important relict of the ancient Bosco del Belvedere, which until the beginning of the last century took up most of the ...

The small sixteenth-century church dedicated to the Santa Croce is located on the outskirts of Tricase, in the territory of Lucugnano.   The façade has simple lines and ends with a slightly projecting cornice, topped by two half tympanums with a central pillar of tuff surmounted by a cross. The corners of the pediment are characterized by two pinnacles. The interior has a nave with a barrel vault with lunettes. Some windows illuminate the surroundings. On the sole altar, made of Leccese stone, there is an interesting painting of the Pieta. The altar consists of three simple steps: on the undersides of the refectory table are carved angels that serve as its support and in the center is a roundel with the Virgin. In connection to the access to the sacristy, on the architrave ...

The church of Madonna Addolorata, on the outskirts of the hamlet of Lucugnano, presents a simple façade characterized by two empty niches flanking the entrance portal. The facade ends with a small mixed-linear crown and two pinnacles at each end. The four-sided interior, houses a unique marble altar, consisting of an architectural element in Leccese stone surmounted by an altarpiece depicting  Our Lady of Sorrows or the Seven Sorrows, commissioned by Anna Carignani, wife of the Marquis of Botrugno, Saverio Castriota.   In the anterior of the altar, under the refectory, is the statue of the dead Christ, which is carried in procession on Good Friday along with Our Lady of Sorrows kept in a niche of the presbytery. On the right wall is the ...

Located on the south side of the square, the elegant Palazzo Comi dates back to the mid-nineteenth century and is an interesting example of residential architecture of the XIX-XX centuries in minor urban centers of Salento. The complex integrates the representative-residential functions with the agriculture-production ones, an expression of a culture tied to the small nobility and local middle-class land ownership. The edifice, from the simple and schematic facade to the lowest floor, consists of continuous bands of smooth rustication, while the uppermost floor has very slender gabled windows. The complex is centered on the inner courtyard which is accessible through an atrium, turned in front of which is, on the upper floor, an elegant gallery with Ionic columns with architraves. The ...

The church of Santa Maria delle Grazie is located in the small town of Lucugnano, between Palazzo Comi and the baronial castle. The inscription on the façade attests the existence of the church as early as 1725. The facade, recently repainted in a rosy shade, is bordered by two pilasters topped by four pinnacles with a central pediment in mixtilinear frame with four scrolls. None of these elements, however, allows you to define the exact events that have characterized its construction history. The interior has a nave divided into two bays with a rectangular apse. The cover is formed by twice the intersection of sharp edges and once of a barrel with lunettes. The main altar is made of Leccese stone, carved with floral motifs, angels and cherubs, dedicated to Our Lady of Grace, ...

The Lucugnano Castle, also known as Palazzo Baronale Alfarano Capece, presents on its body the main characteristics of a civil building of the late Renaissance and the crenellated tower behind those of the defensive structures of earlier centuries.   The tower, with a square plan, is crowned by corbels and is equipped with battlements. The residence, made up of twenty-two rooms on two floors, has a severe Renaissance prospect, characterized by decorative elements in geometrical pattern that adorn the architraves and cornices. The top part of the structure is crowned by a frieze consisting of a series of vertical grooves in dented cornice, all interspersed with five pilaster capitals. The façade shows linearity and harmony that enhance the entire architectural complex, thanks ...

The crypt of the Madonna del Passo, of Basilian origin, is located near the municipal cemetery of Specchia. The structure, of a square shape, has a nave with two side altars and a main central altar, surmounted by a canopy bordered by columns, which contains a central fresco of Mary and Child. On the walls of the hypogeum are traces of ancient frescoes.   In front of the crypt, is a shelter for travelers who repose under the covered passages and benefited from a nearby cistern.   On the exterior of church-crypt, in 1851, a Calvary was built. ...

The structure, with east / west orientation, has a longitudinal plan divided into three naves and is characterized by a series of three arches supported by three columns of which the highest is the central one. The façade is adorned with a two-mullioned window divided by a slender column with a truncated pyramid capital on which a lobed cross is carved, typical of the Eastern iconography, above the portal entrance in a slightly ogival arch.   The apse outside, typically Byzantine, is in a polygonal shape, while the one inside is in circular form and is characterized by a two-mullioned window with arches of unequal radius. On the southern wall, one of the slabs of stone carved into a cruciform window is preserved. Inside is a large stone statue of St. Euphemia. The altar was ...

The church, dedicated to St. Nicholas of Myra, is located on the outskirts of the village, where a farm was once open. The church probably dates back to the eleventh century and is one of the medieval remains of the territory. The structure has a single nave with south / east - north / west indications to the point where the sun rises on the day of the feast of St. Nicholas (6 December).   The church was restored in 1587 transforming it into its current appearance, throughout the transition from the Greek-Byzantine rite, which was previously practiced, into the Latin rite. Inside, however, a stone remained that refers to its ancient origins. The roof in double truss was replaced by the current vault in tuff. The date and the coat of arms of Specchia are engraved on the key. It has a ...

In the northeastern area of the town of Specchia, Serra Magnone denominates the section of greenhouse further on the south that takes the name of Serra dei Peccatori and Serra dei Cianci, respectively in the territory of Specchia and Alessano. The greenery, almost entirely planted with olive trees and organized in terracing on dry stone walls of containment, welcomes on the crest the Masseria del Monte, a rural settlement with a chapel dedicated to St. Anthony, dating back to the seventeenth century, as shown in the engraving: ‘HOC VILLA FUNDITUS CONSTRUCTA/ ET DOTATA FUIT TEMPORE GUARDIA/.ATUS ....BONAVENTURA .../ A.D. 1604’. The ruins of the oratory of St. Angelo, of which a cell with a small votive shrine is visible, are preserved in the highest part of the ...

The "Faith" itinerary leads tourists to discover the area of ​​the Capo di Leuca following a fascinating journey dotted with rural churches, crypts, recreational places, through countryside full of those rural evidences typical of the Salento: stone walls, terraced olive groves, pajare and dry stone structures that testify to the efforts of the locals to make the area cultivable.   An exciting and evocative journey that brings the modern tourist to follow the steps, retrace the paths, rest, and stop for a moment of concentration or prayer in those places that for centuries pilgrims have traveled to reach the southern tip of the Italian mainland, the Santuario di Santa Maria di Leuca.   A route that for its intrinsic nature prefers less visible tracks, more ...