Guided visit of Otranto

With our guided visit of Otranto you will discover the “The door to East”, is one of the most famous gems of the Salento coast: this little town facing the Adriatic sea lies on the most oriental point of Italy.
Our walking tour will lead you through the ancient part of the town which lies within fortified walls facing the wonderful sea that boasts transparent water.

Otranto’s ancient city centre (“Borgo antico di Otranto”) has been recognized by UNESCO as a “Culture of Peace Messenger Site.”

The cathedral and the castle

The Cathedral of Otranto represents the biggest Romanesque building of Apulia and was built in 1080: inside it you will be able to admire the biggest mosaic of Italy where you can admire images from the Old Testament, as well as figures from Breton legends and mythological symbols. Inside the cathedral you can see the skulls and bones of the 800 martyrs who were killed by the Turks in 1480 because they refused to be converted to the Islamic religion.
The Aragonese castle is also impressive. It is an example of perfect military architecture.

The guided tour in the historic centre of Otranto includes:

Analysis of the symbols of the mosaic of the Cathedral.
Historical analysis of Otranto of the Greek, Roman, Norman, Swabian and Spanish period. The town of Otranto was the meeting point in the Mediterranean of different populations and it was crossroad of economical and cultural exchanges.
Analysis of the fortifications of the town and of the defensive artifices used by the military architects to defend the coast and the town.
Visit to St. Peter church, one of the few examples of Greek-Byzantine churches in Italy, analysis of the frescoes.