Monastero di S. Nicola di Casole

The Monastero di S. Nicola di Casole is a medieval monastery complex near Otranto with partially standing walls and a semicircular apse featuring Gothic architectural details. The layout of the buildings remains visible, showing how the original structure was organized.

This monastery was founded in 1098 and became one of medieval Europe's most important repositories of knowledge. Its destruction during the 1480 invasion marked the end of this scholarly community and the loss of countless texts.

This monastery served as a major hub for preserving Greek and Latin knowledge, where monks worked daily copying texts and building collections of religious and classical writings. Visitors can sense the scholarly life that once took place within these walls.

The ruins are located along the coastal road heading toward Santa Cesarea Terme and can be reached on foot. Wear appropriate footwear, as the site sits on open ground with uneven surfaces.

Among the library's lost treasures was the Physiologus graecus, a zoological text that later influenced the design of the famous floor mosaic in nearby Otranto Cathedral. This connection reveals how medieval knowledge shaped local sacred art.