The Salento, a land between two seas

The Salento is a land between two seas: the Adriatic to the east, the Ionian to the west. This tour goes round it through its main towns, from the port of Brindisi to the carved stone streets of Lecce, stopping at the two great towns of the coast, Gallipoli and Otranto.

Day 1: Brindisi and its landmarks

The day starts with a guided tour of Brindisi, a city of Messapian origin (the Messapians were the ancient people of this corner of Italy). Its fine harbour is overlooked by the terminal columns of the Via Appia, the Roman road that ended here, and by the Monument to the Sailor. After lunch in town the afternoon is free, to explore at your own pace. In the evening, back to the hotel for dinner and the night. With its history and its monuments, Brindisi is one of the main gateways to the Salento, a meeting point of culture and tradition.

Day 2: Gallipoli and Otranto, history and sea

After breakfast the tour leaves for Gallipoli, an old fishing town built on the island of Sant’Agata and joined to the mainland by a 17th-century bridge. The old town has a Baroque cathedral, a seminary and several underground olive mills, cut into the rock, where lamp oil was once produced: oil that was burnt for light rather than eaten. The deep religious life of the 17th century still shows in the many churches that belonged to the confraternities, the lay brotherhoods that ran them.

After lunch at a local restaurant, the afternoon is spent in Otranto, known as the “Gateway to the East” for its position facing the other shore of the sea. The town is dominated by its Norman cathedral, with the enigmatic floor mosaic laid in the Middle Ages by the monk Pantaleone, and by its imposing castle. In the evening, back to the hotel for dinner and the night.

Day 3: Lecce, capital of the Baroque

After breakfast the tour heads to Lecce, known as the capital of the Baroque. The whole day is given to the city, famous for its churches covered in sculpture carved from the local stone and for the fine palazzi, the grand town houses that open onto courtyards in the old centre. The highlights include Piazza del Duomo, with the seminary, the Bishop’s Palace and the bell tower, and Piazza Sant’Oronzo, with its great Roman amphitheatre, and the church of Santa Croce, the symbol of the Baroque period. In the evening, back to the hotel for dinner and the night.

Day 4: Galatina and its traditions

After breakfast the tour leaves for Galatina, known as the town of the tarantate, the women once believed to have been bitten by the tarantula, because of the small chapel of San Paolo, the legendary place where the apostle Paul is said to have stopped. The town is known for its courtyard houses, typical of the Salento, and for the Basilica of Santa Caterina d’Alessandria, a masterpiece of the art of the Middle Ages. The story of the tarantate is told in our article on tarantism and Galatina. After lunch at a local restaurant, the tour ends.