Porto Cesareo (source: Visual Puglia )
Numerous findings testify to the fact that the area where Porto Cesareo stands was inhabited in prehistoric times. The Roman reign when the city was renamed Portus Sasinae, is certain but not much evidence remains, except for the seven megalithic columns in green marble, now underwater in the sea. During the dark centuries of the late Middle Ages, the port was slowly abandoned due to silting up of the area and continuous pirate raids. Around the year 1000 the centre began to return to life thanks to a group of Byzantine monks, who built an abbey used until the 15th century. The ownership of the feud where the port was located passed to the Orsini, Acquaviva, and Nardò and the port underwent a period of growing success thanks to trade with Sicily, Greece and the Maritime Republics. The Torre Cesarea was built in the 15th century to protect against pirate raids from the sea. It is still well-preserved and can be visited. The fortunes of Porto Cesareo resumed in the 18th century, thanks to the creation of a tuna-fish factory in the sea in front of the port, which brought back inhabitants from the surrounding areas. Porto Cesareo became a municipality in 1975 and since 1997 it has been the seat of a protected marine area which extends up to 7 miles from the coast.
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Sun, sea, wind. Nature strikes in the first place, when one gets to this land stretch in balance between two seas. Salento has its core in the province of Lecce, - a Baroque Florence in Southern Italy – and reaches the provinces of Brindisi over the Adriatic Sea, and Taranto on the Ionian Sea side. The cities and inland towns expressions of the unique Lecce Baroque with Messapi and Salento Grecìa can still be seen. Its language, songs and feasts still show the culture of Graecia Magna. Surf, kite-surf and windsurf lovers never miss the beaches facing the Alimini lakes, while scuba diving fans just have to choose among the several equipped centers and charming sea beds of the Ionian coast as well as of the area between Otranto and Santa Maria di Leuca.
Church and hermitage of Santa Maria of the Angels - Scorrano
Lighthouse and aqueduct - Santa Maria di Leuca
Salento coast is characterized by a high variety in landscapes: the clear, fine sand beaches of Santa Cesarea seafront; famous caves such as Castro cave with its Grotta Romanelli, one of the most important Italian prehistoric settlements, and Grotta Zinzulusa, 'the pearl of caves', owing its name to the dialect word 'zinzuli', ('rags'), used by fishermen to indicate its beautiful stalactites and stalagmites
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Baroque style affirmed in Apulia during Counter-Reformation upon the will of Roman Church. A way of exalting Catholic symbols, Lecce and Nardò Baroque has its own characteristics that make it different from the same artistic style in other regions. Its peculiarities derive from the use of amber-colored Lecce stone as well as decorations used to mask the structures on which they are mounted
In Southern Apulia, at the heart of Salento, nine municipalities united to save what is still left of the ancient Grika culture. In this area of Salento there can still be found traces of Graecia Magna Grika language spoken in the Basilian convents dismantled after the council of Trent
Project created in collaboration with InnovaPuglia.
Regione Puglia
Regione Puglia