Otranto is a coastal town in southern Italy’s Apulia region. It’s home to the 15th-century Aragonese Castle and 11th-century Otranto Cathedral, with a rose window and ornate mosaic flooring. At the harbor, Torre Matta tower has sweeping sea views. Nearby beaches where I finally had a swim.
Fortification around the city is huge with a Castle, Catholic Cathedral and Orthodox Church. The Castle spans a large area of the old town and the churches are inside.
The Cathedral with the mosaic floor and the skulls." The Madonna" refers to a fresco of the Black Madonna, which symbolizes the union of Eastern and Western cultures, while the "skulls" are the remains of the 813 Martyrs of Otranto from the 1480 Ottoman invasion. These skulls and bones are housed in the Chapel of the Martyrs as a testament to their courage in refusing to convert to Islam and sacrificing their lives for their faith.
We near missed St Peters Orthodox Church as it seemed bricked up. All sides except one.
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