Lecce, Galatina, Santa Maria Di Leuca, Otranto, Gallipoli - 7 and 8 June 2026

 Hi all, we had a quiet Sunday in Lecce before taking on a road trip yesterday around the Salento peninsula. This area was originally settled by the Greeks in 600 BC and still has a huge Greek influence, including a local Greco/italian dialect. The architecture is a real mix of Romanesque and Baroque, with a little Moorish thrown in!

At Galatina we visited the Franciscan church, the second established in Italy in 1391, including many frescoes that are in great condition.



Still stunning after 600 years.

Then it was on the road again to Otrano, with its Spanish Castle of Aragon, and surprisingly a Romanesque church with a heavy Moorish influence on the ceiling. This Church of the Martyrs is dedicated to the 800 souls who were killed by the invading Turks (who had a short occupation of the town).



Roman mosaics on the floor, Moorish gold on the roof!

We went further south to the extreme southern tip of mainland Italy, on the heel of the boot, to the lovely seaport of Santa Maria Di Leuca. First stop a Gelato!

Of course the town also had a Spanish Castle!



By this stage we it was past 2pm, so it was time for a nice seafood lunch on the waterfront, delicious of course. Sorry about all the panoramic shots, but they came on us very regularly as we skirted the coast road.


At least it made us happy!

Our final stop was at Gallipoli (the Italian one), which was nice but bit under whelming after a great road trip, maybe the famous “party town” didn’t fit our demographic! 

Some of the local architecture is a bit eclectic - like this private mansion at the Santa Caesar Thermal baths. The owner had had a bit of a bet by including as many styles as possible!


Anyway, we arrived home tired but very glad we did the Salento loop - many thanks to our driver Stefano, who navigated the narrow roads with only a few eyes closed moments!

Today is our last full day in Puglia, as we leave Lecce for Malta tomorrow - we will be sad to leave this great province of Italy. All our love from the Travellers.

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