Otranto

Otranto sits at Italy's eastern tip, closer to Albania than to Rome, and its cathedral holds a mosaic floor laid between 1163 and 1165 by a monk named Pantaleone, covering the whole nave with a Tree of Life whose branches carry biblical scenes, the months of the year, zodiac signs, elephants, mermaids and King Arthur, an unusual mixture of Christian, classical and Norman material in one composition. The Aragonese castle guards the harbour, and Horace Walpole borrowed its name for The Castle of Otranto, the first Gothic novel, without ever visiting. The coast north has small coves and old quarries filled with sea water.

History

As the nearest port to the eastern shore of the Adriatic, the town may have been more important than Brundisium under the Roman emperors as a point of embarkation for the East. Its castle was strengthened by Emperor Frederick II and rebuilt by Alfonso II of Naples in 1485 to 1498, and Horace Walpole picked the name from a map for its sound, not learning until 1786 that Otranto had a castle (Wikipedia, Otranto).

The main sights

• The Tree of Life mosaic - a nave floor of biblical, classical and Arthurian scenes.
• The Aragonese castle - a harbour fortress that lent its name to a novel.
• The old town - white lanes inside walls above the harbour.
• The coast north - coves, sea caves and flooded bauxite quarries.

When to go

May to September for swimming; August is very crowded. The cathedral closes for a midday break and during services. Spring is best for the coastal walks.

Good to know

The mosaic is walked over and partly covered by pews and furniture. The town is small and packed in August. Parking is outside the walls.

Nearby

Santa Maria di Leuca lies south; Lecce is inland.

Key facts