{"id":13281,"date":"2020-01-31T16:31:29","date_gmt":"2020-01-31T15:31:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lelantane.com\/?page_id=13281"},"modified":"2020-02-04T14:27:22","modified_gmt":"2020-02-04T13:27:22","slug":"santa-maria-di-leuca","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.lelantane.com\/en\/santa-maria-di-leuca\/","title":{"rendered":"Santa Maria di Leuca"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The end of the Heel of Italy<\/h2>\n

A vacation in Salento<\/strong> must end with a stop in Santa Maria di Leuca<\/strong>: it is precisely at the extremity of Puglia<\/strong>, as it was the culmination of a sensorial experience made of ancient tastes, landscapes, ancestral traditions and history.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row content_placement=”middle”][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

The symbols of Santa Maria di Leuca<\/h2>\n

It is often said that Santa Maria di Leuca<\/strong> is in the meeting point of the two seas, Adriatic and Ionian: actually, this fusion takes place further north, offshore of the lighthouse of Punta Palascia, a few steps from Otranto<\/strong>. But that does not mean a loss of the charm of Santa Maria di Leuca<\/strong>, called \u201cde finibus terrae\u201d by the Romans because it was born where the land gives way to the blue sea.<\/p>\n

The symbol of this town in Salento is surely the Shrine of Santa Maria de Finibus Terrae<\/strong>, built where in the past a temple dedicated to Minerva<\/strong> stood: nowadays, of that pagan site, only an altar is still preserved in the church, with a beautiful painting by Jacopo Palma il Giovane portraying the Virgin Mary with the Child, and an organ of 1885.<\/p>\n

A few steps from the very bright churchyard there is a big stone cross in memory of the passage of Saint Peter during its journey to Rome.<\/p>\n

The Shrine<\/strong>, flanked by the white lighthouse<\/strong> realized in 1873, dominates the harbour of Santa Maria di Leuca<\/strong> from a hill, connected to the religious building by a monumental waterfall<\/strong>, that is the end point of the Apulian Aqueduct. On special occasions, the waterfall is enlightened in such a suggestive way that it offers one of the most beautiful panoramas of Leuca<\/strong>.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_single_image image=”12747″ img_size=”large”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row content_placement=”middle”][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_single_image image=”12925″ img_size=”large”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

Santa Maria di Leuca: between history and legend<\/h2>\n

At the foot of the Monumental Waterfall<\/strong> there is the sculpture \u201cTrittico della Trascendenza\u201d<\/strong>: it portrays the legend of Leucasia, related to the myth of the birth of the town. Leucasia was a mermaid who fell head over heels with the shepherd Melisso. But the heart of the young man was only for Aristula: that arose the wrath of the mermaid, who brought down a mortal storm on the two lovers.<\/p>\n

The bodies of the young couple were thrown in the sea and, because of the gods\u2019 pity, were turned into rocks placed one in front of the other: today they are identified with the rocky capes of Punta Ristola<\/strong> and Punta Meliso<\/strong>, embracing Santa Maria di Leuca.<\/p>\n

The name of the town comes from this dramatic tale, leukos: actually, this Greek term seems to be used by the Hellenic sailors when they spot this very bright land for the first time (leukos means, indeed, white).<\/p>\n

Penetrating in the town, you will have the possibility to admire the various historic dwellings<\/strong> built from the XIX century in different styles: Pompeian, Liberty, Moresque, Gothic and Medieval. Among these, Villa Meridiana<\/strong>, easily recognizable for its fa\u00e7ade decorated with the elegant sundial, Villa Episcopo<\/strong> with its oriental style, Villa Mellacqua<\/strong> with its fairy aspect and Villa Pia<\/strong> with the walls decorated with battlements stand out.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row full_width=”stretch_row_content_no_spaces”][vc_column][vc_raw_html]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[\/vc_raw_html][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row el_id=”camere_simili”][vc_column][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

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Scopri altri luoghi<\/h2>\n

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