Otranto, Puglia, ItalyAn uneventful drive (only 2 slight mis-turns), we arrived in Otranto in time for a little beach time.
Then, off to do laundry ... can't believe we've been gone long enough for a second laundry! Then Gary's official (late) birthday dinner at White, a great spot with seating on the bay.
A yummy breakfast in this beautiful setting before heading off to the historical centre for a 'touristy' morning. Apparently thre are 3 things to see/do in Otranto (other than the beaches, of course!)
First, the Cathedral of Santa Maria Annunziata, located on the highest spot of Otranto. It was completed in 1088, a synthesis of Christian, Byzantine and Romanesque styles. The floors are spectacular ... a mosaic of about 600,000 multicoloured tiles made of local limestone, depicting the Tree of Life, was completed in 1165.
The Chapel of the Martyrs, exposed bones and the 'stone of martyrdrom' is dedicated to the memory of the extermination of the 800 Christian inhabitants massacred by the Turks...Martyrs of Otranto. Can you see the bones?
The Aragonese Castle, a fortress built by the Aragonese of Naples between 1485 and 1498, is pentagonal in shape with 3 towers surrounded on 3 sides by a moat. Most of what remains is Spanish.
Chiese di San Pietro is located in the old town centre of Otranto.... a little bit Roman with some Greek and Spanish. There are amazing Byzantine frecoes dating back to the tenth-eleventh century.
Last stop. the Torre Matte for an art show. Pareidolia ... See Beyond Appearances. Based on the same concept as seeing animals, etc in clouds, Carlo Toma took photos of images he saw in the bark of old olive trees and then commissioned artists to recreate artistically. Cool
2025-05-23