Exploring Puglia

Our Road Scholar group visited the charming seaside town of Otranto on Monday (2-7-22) and the equally charming Locorotondo on Tuesday (2-8-22).  Like most Italian towns I have visited over the years, Otranto and Locorotondo have old towns, surrounded by city walls and containing defensive battlements which protected the residents hundreds and even thousands of years ago. 

Otranto sits on the Adriatic Sea.  On a clear day we are told, you can see the Albanian Mountains.  Even though the day was cloudy, we were amazed by the color and clarity of the water.

From 1991 thousands of Albanians, fearing civil war at the end of the communist dictatorship and seeking a better life, sailed from Albania to Italy.  They were not welcomed and many either perished or were sent back to Albania.  

One particularly tragic event occurred in 1997 near Otranto when an Italian patrol ship intercepted a small ship carrying about 100 refugees.  The ships collided and the Albanian ship sank, killing all aboard.  In 2012 the ship was salvaged and turned into a monument at the Otranto port.

After visiting the memorial, we walked around the walls and through the streets of the old city. 

We also visited the Cathedral of Santa Maria Annunziata where our guide, Emanuela, gave us an excellent lecture on the details conveyed in a massive mosaic that covers the entire floor of the cathedral.  Here are some photos of some details.  The central theme of the mosaic is the tree of life with multiple representations of the battle of good versus evil.  

Note the depiction of the murder of Abel by Cain, and the Jewish patriarchs Abraham and Isaac.  In addition, leaders such as King Arthur and Alexander the Great are included. This project was completed in the twelfth century.

Speaking of the battle between good and evil, or among multiple evils, if you prefer, in 1480 the Turks bombarded the walls of Otranto for fifteen days before overrunning the city.  More than 800 people who refused to convert to Islam were beheaded.  A year or so later, the Turks were run out of town and the bodies were discovered.  The Cathedral contains a monument to these martyrs—their heads are displayed in glass cases behind an altar.

Before leaving Otranto, our group stopped for a photo before the beautiful waters of the Adriatic Sea and then enjoyed a marvelous seafood lunch that included octopus, squid, shrimp, and cuttlefish served in a variety of ways.

Locorotondo is a white town on top of a hill.  It is known as one of “Italy’s most beautiful cities.”  The narrow streets, white-washed houses, and bright flowers all add to the ambience.  And, in anticipation of Valentine's day, some streets were decorated.