Santa Maria di Leuca, Coastal frazione in Castrignano del Capo, Italy
Located at the southernmost tip of the Salento peninsula, Santa Maria di Leuca marks the meeting point of the Adriatic and Ionian Seas.
The Basilica De Finibus Terrae stands on the site of an ancient Greek temple dedicated to Athena, later rebuilt between 1720 and 1755.
The local August 15th celebration features a procession carrying the Virgin Mary statue through streets lined with nineteenth-century seaside villas.
Visitors can explore thirty marine caves along the coast through organized boat tours departing from the main harbor throughout summer months.
The 47-meter lighthouse sits atop a 102-meter cliff, making it the second most important lighthouse structure in Italy.
Location: Castrignano del Capo
Inception: 1866
Elevation above the sea: 17 m
GPS coordinates: 39.80100,18.35694
Latest update: May 28, 2025 18:15
Southern Italy contains a wide range of historical sites, religious structures and natural areas that take visitors through more than two millennia of cultural history. The region holds Greek temples such as the Temple of Hera at Metaponto, medieval fortresses including Castello Aragonese in Taranto and Rocca Calascio in Abruzzo, and religious complexes like the Santuario di Monte Sant'Angelo, an important pilgrimage site since the early Middle Ages. Underground catacombs in Naples and Palermo, rock churches in Matera and the Cripta del Peccato Originale show the development of Christian art and architecture. The natural environment ranges from marine protected areas like Riserva Marina di Punta Campanella on the Campanian coast to the Tremiti Islands in the Adriatic. Inland landscapes include Parco Nazionale d'Aspromonte in Calabria, the erosive Calanchi di Aliano in Basilicata and Cavagrande del Cassibile in Sicily. Coastal formations such as the Arco Naturale near Palinuro and sea caves like Grotta della Poesia at Roca Vecchia add to the geographic variety. Cities including Matera with its sassi districts, Lecce with baroque palaces and the Quartieri Spagnoli in Naples illustrate different urban developments. This collection centers on the area around Alberobello, whose trulli structures have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996.
Spiaggia di Pescoluse
9.5 km
Centopietre
4.4 km
Vereto
4.9 km
Spiaggia di Posto Vecchio
9 km
Torre dell'Omomorto
962 m
Torre Nasparo
11.5 km
Torre Palane
12.8 km
Spiaggia Torre Pali
13.3 km
Palazzo Ducale
10.4 km
Palazzo Ducale
13.6 km
Torre Specchia Grande
9.3 km
Cripta della Madonna del Gonfalone
13.8 km
Chiesa sant'Ippazio
11.4 km
Museum Vito Mele
1.1 km
Torre del Ricco
8 km
Chiesa di San Rocco
5 km
Sant'Andrea Apostolo
13.4 km
Torre Marchiello
2.2 km
Frantoi Ipogei e Museo civiltà contadina e tradizioni popolari
13.7 km
Capo Santa Maria di Leuca Lighthouse
1.1 km
Grotta del Drago
2.2 km
Torre Pali
13.3 km
Devil's Cave
1.5 km
Grotta Porcinara
1.4 km
Quercia vallonea
14.2 km
Torre Vado
7.6 km
Torre San Gregorio
4.2 km
Castello di Montesardo
8.7 kmReviews
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