Things to see in Otranto

Otranto is a town of about 5,500 people (2025) in the Apulia region of Italy, on the Adriatic coast of Salento peninsula. It is the easternmost town of Italy.

This small town has become a main tourist destination in Apulia, representing a true gem to discover from the medieval walls of its historic center to the fine sands of the Adriatic coast.

The first settlement was founded by the Messapians, the native population of Salento peninsula, probably with the name of Odra. It was then rebuilt by the Greeks that renamed it as Hydrus (Ὑδροῦς – meaning "water"), becoming one of the centres of Magna Graecia. After the Roman conquest the city was called Hydruntum and became soon an important commercial port, due to its location in the easternmost point of Italy.

Old town: Aragonese Castle (Castello Aragonese). A majestic fortress with three cylindrical towers and imposing rampants, deeply reinforced after the siege in 1481. You can visit the courtyard, various halls, the roof and even the dungeons. For detailed information about prices check the website. Cathedral (Duomo di Otranto). An interesting church consecrated in 1088, and built on the remains of a Messapic village, a Roman domus and an early Christian temple. It represents an interesting mixture of Byzantine and Romanesque elements, and contains an enormous mosaic pavement, relics of the Martyrs, and a crypt resembling the Mezquita of Córdoba. Free. Church of San Pietro (Chiesa di San Pietro). One of the most important examples of Byzantine art in the whole southern Italy. Free. Monument erected to the Heroes and Martyrs, Lungomare degli Eroi. It consists of a bronze statue of a woman holding the flag and the cross, symbol of the Christianity defended till the death by almost 800 citizens, killed by the Ottoman invaders in 1480. Porta Terra, Via Vittorio Emanuele/Largo Porta Alfonsina. Daily.