Ipogeo di Torre Pinta
Punta Palascia, or Capo d'Otranto, is the easternmost point of Italy. Here, where the Adriatic meets the Ionian and merge, a white lighthouse stands on the coast overlooking the sea, surrounded on one side by the scents of the Mediterranean scrub and on the other by the silvery shimmer of the rolling waves.
Description
It represents an example of a dovecote, built on a previous settlement, perhaps Christian, given its regular Latin cross plan. The three short arms of the cross face west, east, and south, while the dark, 33-meter-long gallery, which corresponds to the long arm of the cross, faces north. All the niches and the wide, low-ceilinged corridor bear deep incisions made by doves' claws. A closer look reveals several details that directly relate to Messapian culture: an oven used for cremation or sacrifices, hundreds of cavities used as cinerary urns, and a stone seat placed along the walls, used by these people, according to their custom, to lay the deceased in a seated position.
The Messapian origin of this structure is currently the most widely accepted theory. The discovery of this hypogeum, which occurred in August 1976, is attributed to Milanese architect Antonio Susini, who confirmed with certainty that the numerous existing cells housed pigeons, bred by the owners of the nearby farmhouse. The site's strategic location supports the hypothesis that they were carrier pigeons, in the service of the Bourbon military command garrisoned in Terra d'Otranto. "If only we had found a vase, a coin, an engraving," Susini stated. "But nothing. An incredible fact, even more so considering that the hundreds of niches carved in overlapping rows along all the walls and in the vault must have held just as many cinerary urns." If one pauses to study all its details, one will certainly notice that the original niches extend all the way to the vault. Other, more recent ones are then opened. The tower itself dates back to the Middle Ages, but has undergone subsequent renovations. This part is certainly the oldest and is characterized by Saracen-inspired eastern spires, which once housed Turkish balls.
How to get to Torre Pinta
The Torre Pinta Hypogeum is located on private property, the Torre Pinta Agritourism Farm. It's necessary to seek the assistance of the owner, Giovanna, who will be happy to accompany tourists inside the hypogeum, providing a brief historical overview of its construction and its uses over the centuries.
