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The first Italian sun rises in Otranto, the easternmost city in Italy, the cradle of civilisation, the scene of historical tragedies and the ideal place for today’s vacation.
The city of Martyrs, so called because of the dramatic siege of Otranto in 1480 by the Saracen Turks who landed and conquered the city by massacring the population in the Baia dei Turchi, one of the most beautiful beaches in Puglia.
The historic centre of Otranto is kept within defensive walls and still bears the signs and symbols of the various dominations which have followed one another. The position of Otranto, in fact, has always made it not only an important commercial centre, but also a place that can be easily attacked by sea. Its ancient village as well as being included in the club of the “most beautiful villages in Italy” has also been recognised as a UNESCO Cultural Heritage Site as a Messenger of Peace Site.
The internal territories in the vicinity of Otranto, on the other hand, are all to be discovered, on horseback, by bicycle or simply on foot it is possible to reach the wildest areas of the region.
One cannot fail to be fascinated by the Bauxite Quarry which offers the eye an enchanting, unexpected explosion of colours with warm tones. It is made up of red hills with a thousand veins which create a splendid play of light and shadow.
As already mentioned, this is the easternmost territory of the whole country, a point from which you can see the mountains and even the Balkan coasts.
Every New Year’s Eve we gather to admire the sunrise on the first day of the year.
In short, Otranto is a small town in the province of Lecce which, perhaps somewhat surprisingly, has revealed itself over the years as an unmissable destination for anyone intending to organise their holidays in Puglia.
