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 | Abruzzo Basilicata Calabria Campania Emilia Romagna Friuli Venezia Giulia Lazio Liguria Lombardia Le Marche Molise Piemonte Puglia Lecce Otranto Sardinia Sicily Tuscany Trentino Alto Adige Umbria Valle D Aosta Veneto | | OtrantoItaly > Puglia > Lecce > OtrantoOtranto is a seaport and archiepiscopal see of Puglia, Italy, in the province of Lecce, from which it is 291 miles southeast by rail, 49 ft. above sea-level. It is beautifully situated on the east coast of the peninsula. The castle was erected by Alfonso I of Aragon; the cathedral, consecrated in 1088, has a rose window and side portal of 1481. The interior, a basilica with nave and two aisles, contains columns said to come from a temple of Minerva and a fine mosaic pavement of 1166, with interesting representations of the months, Old Testament subjects, etc. It has a crypt supported by forty-two marble columns. The church of S. Pietro has Byzantine frescoes. The harbour is small and has little trade. Otranto occupies the site of the ancient Hydrus or Hydruntum, a town of Greek origin. In Roman times it was less important than Brundisium as a point of embarkation for the East, though the distance to Apollonia was less than from Brundusium. It remained in the hands of the Byzantine emperors until it was taken by Robert Guiscard in 1068. Pages referring to OtrantoHere are links to a selection of pages that mention Otranto within this website: Lecce Content Referred to by This ArticleFind out more about the information contained in this article by clicking one of the links listed below. Lecce, Puglia Snippets of Articles Relating to OtrantoItaly > Puglia > Lecce Lecce is a small city situated in the south of Italy, in Puglia. It is known for its important Baroque monuments such as the Holy Cross church situated in the center of the old town. The Roman Amphitheatre, built in the 2nd century and situated nearby Sant'Oronzo square, deserves to be mentioned as well. In its time, the amphitheatre was able to host more than 25,000 people. It is now half-buried because other important monuments were built above. Lecce is called "La Firenze delle Puglie" (The Florence of Apulia) because of the quantity of important monuments found there. The area near Lecce is called Salento: another important town of Salento is Otranto. Italy > Puglia Puglia encompasses the "heel" of Italy, the peninsula known as Salento or Terra di Lecce. The regional capital is Bari. Italy > Puglia > Bari Bari is the second largest continental city of Southern Italy, with a population of 326,201 (2001) along 116 sq. km. Capital of Apulia (or Puglia) region, on the Adriatic Sea, its province is the fifth largest and most populated in Italy, with 1,551,331 inhabitants (2001) and more than 5,000 sq. km. | |
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