Cathedral of Maria Santissima Annunziata

In the heart of the ancient village of Otranto stands the majestic Cathedral of Otranto, dedicated to Santa Maria Annunziata and built in the Norman period on ancient Messapian, Roman, and early Christian remains.\n\nIts medieval appearance was compromised in 1480 by the siege of the Turks under Suleiman the Magnificent, which led to the beheading of 800 citizens of Otranto, whose remains are preserved in the tall display cases of the evocative Chapel of the Holy Martyrs.\n\nTypical features of 12th-century Apulian architecture are the double lunette arches that rest on marble columns with finely carved Corinthian capitals. The building's main attraction is undoubtedly the splendid floor mosaic, a masterpiece of mosaic art, created by the monk Pantaleone between 1163 and 1165, depicting the Tree of Life.\n\nOf particular interest is the crypt, enriched by precious marble columns supporting late antique, Byzantine, early medieval, and contemporary capitals, many of which are decorated with animal figures and human busts.