{"id":41941,"date":"2023-01-27T19:41:15","date_gmt":"2023-01-27T19:41:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hdsalento.com\/churches-in-salento-which-ones-to-visit-absolutely-in-2023\/"},"modified":"2025-03-08T12:44:34","modified_gmt":"2025-03-08T12:44:34","slug":"churches-in-salento-which-ones-to-visit-absolutely-in-2023","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hdsalento.com\/en\/churches-in-salento-which-ones-to-visit-absolutely-in-2023\/","title":{"rendered":"Churches in Salento: which ones to visit absolutely"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><b>Salento peninsula<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, as well as having a huge <\/span> <b>landscape and natural heritage<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, it is an area rich in <\/span><b>history and culture<\/b><span style=\"font -weight: 400;\">, and this can also be seen from the large number of <\/span><b>churches in Salento<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These ancient buildings represent the faith and devotion of the Salento community, but also the architectural beauty and art that have spanned the centuries.<br \/>\n<\/span>From the <b>baroque churches of Lecce and small villages<\/b> to the <b>rock churches of the countryside<\/b>, each of them holds a unique history and unparalleled beauty.<br \/>\nIn this article we will explore some of the <b>most iconic and significant churches of Salento<\/b>, from their origins to the works of art they house.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_28860\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-28860\" style=\"width: 1200px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-28860\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hdsalento.com\/wp-content\/uploads \/2023\/01\/affreschi-santa-caterina-dalessandria-galatina.jpg\" alt=\"affreschi-santa-caterina-dalessandria-galatina\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" title=\"\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-28860\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Churches in Salento: Santa Caterina d&#8217; Alexandria<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Churches in Salento<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><b>churches of Salento<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> bear witness to the evolution of architecture and art over the centuries, and today they represent a major tourist attraction due to their beauty and priceless value. Being a combination of different architectural styles and foreign influences, the churches of Salento bear the marks of the <\/span><b>Romanesque and Gothic style<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, as well as the <\/span><b>Baroque<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Not only that, in Salento there are several beautiful <\/span><b>underground churches<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><b>Byzantine churches<\/b>&lt; span style=&#8221;font-weight: 400;&#8221;&gt; and there are also<b> deconsecrated churches<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, which have taken on another destination of use. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/U9zB9yzVG6s\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What style are the churches of Lecce?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Most of the <\/span><b>churches of Lecce<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> was built according to a style architectural style called &#8220;<\/span><b>barocco leccese<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;, characterized by elaborate decorations and sculptures in <strong>pietra leccese<\/strong>, a golden and malleable limestone rock. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This style developed starting in the 16th century and reached its peak in the 17th and 18th centuries. Lecce Baroque is distinguished by the use of excessive decorative motifs, such as triumphs of flowers and fruit, exotic animals, leaves, as well as human figures and mythological deities. Another common feature in the churches of Lecce is their internal lighting, which creates a warm and welcoming atmosphere.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How many churches does the city of Lecce have?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The city of Lecce has many religious buildings including basilicas, cathedrals and churches; among the main <strong>there are more than 30<\/strong>, but there are also smaller churches scattered throughout the city. <\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What churches does the city of Lecce have?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As we said, the churches of Lecce are really many. In this article we will tell you about those that we think are worth seeing due to their beauty and historicity:<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Basilica di Santa Croce;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Duomo di Maria Santissima Assunta;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Chiesa di Sant&#8217;Irene dei Teatini;\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Basilica di San Giovanni Battista;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Chiesa del Ges\u00f9;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Chiesa di Santa Chiara;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Chiesa del Carmine;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Chiesa di San Matteo;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Chiesa dei Santi Niccol\u00f2 e Cataldo;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Chiesa di Santa Teresa;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Chiesa di Sant&#8217;Anna;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Chiesa di Santa Maria della Provvidenza;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Chiesa di Santa Maria degli Angeli;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Chiesa di San Giovanni Evangelista;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Chiesa della Madre di Dio;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Chiesa di Sant&#8217;Antonio della Piazza;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Chiesa di Santa Maria della Porta;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Santuario di Sant&#8217;Antonio a Fulgenzio.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<figure id=\"attachment_28861\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-28861\" style=\"width: 1200px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-28861\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hdsalento.com\/wp-content\/uploads \/2023\/01\/basilica-di-santa-croce.jpg\" alt=\"basilica di santa croce lecce\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" title=\"\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-28861\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Churches in Salento: Basilica of Santa Croce in Lecce<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Underground churches in Salento<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Another very common typology are the <strong>underground churches in Salento<\/strong>, i.e. those built entirely underground, since at the time digging in the tuff was easier than build a building.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Among the <strong>main underground churches in Salento<\/strong> we mention:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cripta dello Spirito Santo ad Andrano;\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cripta di Santa Marina a Miggiano<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Santuario di Maria Santissima di Montevergine a Palmariggi;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cripta del Pantocratore a Castrignano del Capo;\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cripta della Madonna dell&#8217;Attarico ad Andrano;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Insediamento rupestre di Tabelle a Galatone;\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Grotta di San Giovanni a Giuggianello;\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cripta Madonna della Grotta a Poggiardo;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cripta di San Salvatore a Giurdignano;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Chiesa rupestre di Santa Maria delle Grazie a Minervino di Lecce;\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cripta dei Santi Stefani a Poggiardo;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cripta di Santa Maria degli Angeli a Poggiardo;\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cripta del Crocefisso a Ruffano;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cripta Madonna della Consolazione a San Cassiano;\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cripta Madonna della Grotta ad Ortelle;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cripta dell&#8217;Assunta a Sanarica;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cripta di Santa Cristina a Carpignano Salentino;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cripta di Sant&#8217;Onofrio a Castrignano dei Greci;\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cripta della Madonna di Coelimanna a Supersano;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cripta di Sant&#8217;Angelo a Uggiano la Chiesa;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cripta di San Sebastiano a Sternatia;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cripta di San Marco a Ruffano.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<figure id=\"attachment_28864\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-28864\" style=\"width: 1200px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-28864\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hdsalento.com\/wp-content\/uploads \/2023\/01\/Cripta-Bizantina-di-San-Salvatore.jpg\" alt=\"Cripta-Byzantina-di-San-Salvatore\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" title=\"\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-28864\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Underground churches in Salento &#8211; Byzantine Crypt of San Salvatore &#8211; Photo by Ilaria Rizzo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><b>Chiese bizantine nel Salento<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The influence of Byzantine art can be seen in <strong>churches, crypts and hypogea in the Salento area<\/strong> through the marvelous frescoes characteristic of this style. Although many churches were renovated in later styles such as the Baroque, the frescoes of the crypts and the rock settlements have remained intact to this day and that is why the <strong>Byzantine churches<\/strong> are a must-see in your <strong>itinerary in Salento<\/strong>. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Among the main <strong>Byzantine churches in Salento<\/strong> we mention:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cripta di Santa Marina e Cristina a Carpignano Salentino;<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Chiesa di Santa Marina di Stigliano a Carpignano Salentino;<\/span><\/li>\n<li>Chiesa Santa Maria della Croce, \u201cCasaranello\u201d a Casarano;<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cripta del Crocifisso a Casarano;<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cripta dello Spirito Santo a Castiglione d&#8217;Otranto;\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Basilica bizantina a Castro;<\/span><\/li>\n<li>Cripta basiliana a Corsano;<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cripta di Santo Stefano a Cursi;<\/span><\/li>\n<li>Cripta di San Giovanni Battista a Cutrofiano;<\/li>\n<li>Chiesa di San Mauro a Gallipoli;<\/li>\n<li>Cappella Madonna dell&#8217;Idri a Nociglia;<\/li>\n<li>Basilica bizantina di S. Pietro in Otranto;<\/li>\n<li>Chiesa di Sant&#8217;Eufemia a Specchia.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>These are just some of the Byzantine churches in Salento, you can consult the <strong> complete list <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/it.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Chiese_bizantine_nel_Salento\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>here<\/strong> <\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_28862\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-28862\" style=\"width: 1200px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-28862 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hdsalento.com\/wp-content\/uploads \/2023\/01\/chiesa-bizantina-di-santeufemia-specchia.jpg\" alt=\"byzantine church of santeufemia mirror - churches in salento\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" title=\"\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-28862\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Byzantine church of Sant&#8217;Eufemia a Specchia &#8211; Churches in Salento &#8211; Photo by Ilaria Rizzo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Romanesque churches in Salento<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <strong>Romanesque churches of Salento<\/strong>, on the other hand, were built between the 11th and 13th centuries, with an architectural style characterized by a basilica plan with three naves, very thick side walls and usually have large central rose windows in the main facade, all in light stone and few external decorations.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Among the main <strong>c<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Romanesque churches in Salento<\/strong> we mention: <\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>La Basilica di Santa Caterina d&#8217;Alessandria a Galatina;<\/li>\n<li>L&#8217;Abbazia di Santa Maria a Cerrate;<\/li>\n<li>La Chiesa di San Giovanni al Sepolcro a Brindisi;<\/li>\n<li>La Chiesa di San Benedetto a Brindisi;<\/li>\n<li>La Chiesa del Cristo (o del Crocifisso) a Brindisi;<\/li>\n<li>La Chiesa di Santa Maria del Casale a Brindisi.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<figure id=\"attachment_28863\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-28863\" style=\"width: 1200px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-28863 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hdsalento.com\/wp-content\/uploads \/2023\/01\/chiesa-galatina.jpg\" alt=\"Church of Santa Caterina d&#039;Alessandria in Galatina - churches in Salento\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" title=\"\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-28863\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Romanesque churches in Salento: Church of Santa Caterina d &#8216;Alexandria in Galatina<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Deconsecrated churches in Salento<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are also some <strong>deconsecrated churches in Salento<\/strong>, i.e. churches that are no longer used for religious functions, but which have been transformed into museums or cultural spaces. Among these deconsecrated churches are:<\/span><\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"rllt__details\">\n<ul>\n<li class=\"dbg0pd\" role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"3\"><span class=\"OSrXXb\">la Chiesa di San Francesco della Scarpa a Lecce;<\/span><\/li>\n<li role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"3\">la Chiesa della Madonna del Carmine a Gallipoli;<\/li>\n<li role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"3\">la Chiesa di Santa Maria del Tempio a Tricase.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Templar churches in Salento<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The <strong>Templar churches<\/strong> are churches or places of worship built by the <strong>Knights Templar<\/strong>, a Christian monastic-chivalric order active during the Middle Ages. These knights, although it may seem strange, also inhabited Salento and evident traces of them remain in some churches and religious buildings. Among all we mention:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Cappella della Madonna del Verde a Maruggio;<\/li>\n<li>Chiesa di San Giovanni al Sepolcro a Brindisi;<\/li>\n<li>Chiesa di Santa Maria del Casale a Brindisi.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>https:\/\/www.hdsalento.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/basilica-di-santa-croce.jpg<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Salento peninsula, as well as having a huge landscape and natural heritage, it is an area rich in history and culture, and this can also be seen from the large number of churches in Salento. These ancient buildings represent the faith and devotion of the Salento community, but also the architectural beauty and art [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":41942,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"_glsr_average":0,"_glsr_ranking":0,"_glsr_reviews":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[89],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-41941","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-history-culture"],"acf":[],"acfml_non_translatable_locations":null,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hdsalento.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41941","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hdsalento.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hdsalento.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hdsalento.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hdsalento.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=41941"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.hdsalento.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41941\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hdsalento.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/41942"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hdsalento.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=41941"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hdsalento.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=41941"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hdsalento.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=41941"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}