Corigliano d'Otranto

Located in Salento, it belongs to the historic region of Grecìa Salentina, a linguistic island of nine municipalities where Griko, an ancient language of Greek origin, is spoken.

The area was inhabited by protohistoric civilizations, as evidenced by the megalithic remains of mirrors, dolmens, and menhirs. The town's foundation is uncertain and may date back to the Magna Graecia period, the Roman period, or even the pre-Roman period with the Messapians. From the Roman period, the urban fabric of the historic center remains, where, between Via Capiterra and Via Cavour, a rectangular residential area can be identified, structured on lots corresponding to multiples or submultiples of the Roman actus. The Basilian monastery of San Giorgio, built in the 9th century, contributed to the development of the small town. It housed a school of Greek language and Byzantine culture, which left behind numerous Greek codices, now held in important libraries. This castle declined at the end of the 15th century with the destruction of the monastery of San Nicola di Casole di Otranto, for which it served as a grange.

A must-see is the Castello De' Monti, which represents, in the words of G. Bacile di Castiglione, the "most beautiful monument of early 16th-century military and feudal architecture in the Terra d'Otranto," and certainly the most successful example of the transition from medieval square towers to Renaissance round ones.

Adaptation to new military needs, with the introduction of gunpowder, led, in the 16th century, to the castle's architectural revolution, which was equipped with a deep moat and agile and effective defensive structures, such as the curtain walls with bastions and the four circular towers, embellished with friezes, dedicated to four saints associated with four cardinal virtues.

Today, the castle of Corigliano d'Otranto continues to exert its charm, attracting visitors from around the world, thanks in part to an experimental management project involving three cultural enterprises and the Municipality of Corigliano d'Otranto. Within the castle, images, sounds, and visions take shape and reverberate through a multidisciplinary laboratory open to the local community, bringing together history, architecture, photography, cinema, musical creations, food, and craftsmanship, reinterpreted in a contemporary way.

Another must-see in Corigliano is the Arco dei Lucchetti (Arch of the Locks) in Vico Freddo, which marks the entrance to a courtyard and is characterized by monolithic elements constructed from local Lecce stone.

These decorations are typically medieval, while the arch is Romanesque, reminiscent of those on the portals of Romanesque ecclesiastical buildings in Otranto. Epigraphs date back to 1497.

The Church of San Nicola Vescovo was built on the site of the previous chapel, preserving some of the original features, such as the entrance portal. It has a Latin cross plan with three naves supported by columns, and has undergone several modifications over the centuries, including the addition of a valuable mosaic floor depicting biblical scenes.