Salento is an unspoiled stretch of land between the western Jonian and the southern Adriatic indented coastlines with high cliffs, lovely fjords, hidden "calette", long white beaches and a transparent sea with coastal fisheries, deep sea fishing
Salento is a peninsula of the Italian peninsula, it is" the heel of the boot" floating on the Mediterranean sea. It is often quoted in epic poems such as the Odyssey and the Aeneid and it is placed in the cradle of Western civilization.

In Salento a large number of historic megalithic monuments, dolmens, menhirs, barrows and "nemanthol" stand. In Romanelli Cave at Castro and in the Cave of the Deer at Porto Badiso are wall paintings and graffiti of hunting scenes of the glacial period. Particularly important has been the discovery of the body of a woman with an embryo in her womb buried in Ostuni about 25,000 years ago.
Archeologists, scholars and a large number of tourists are becoming more and more interested in and charmed by this mysterious land which still preserves hidden treasures.

The collection of golden jewels in Taranto Municipal Museum, the proto-Corinthian vases and ceramics and the famous Messapian jars "trozzelle" that are in all Salentine museums are constant reminders of Magna Grecia civilization.

The basiliche and the cathedrals built in variuous archectural styles ranging from baroque to gothic, from romanesque to rococo are pleasing to the eye. The rupestrian crypts keep ancient Greek codes.

Mycenean civilization had influenced the people living in the Salentine peninsula before reaching Greece.The Messapian people, called Sallentinii by the Romans, were not of Greek origin since they probably came from Dalmatia, but they were highly civilized as Strabone and Plinio, the two great historians,say.Therefore they integrated with the local people who were Greeck and also assimilated parts of their culture into their own, but were able to lead an independent life in their fortified towns and ready to fight against common enemies.

Before the Roman conquest Salentine people lived a prosperous life since their civilization was superior to any other Italic populations of that time.The Romans themselves after conquering Salentoappreciated local sculptures, paintings and the poetry composed by Quintus Ennius and Virgil. The former, one of the greatest Roman poet, was born in the Messapian Rudiae, nowadays an important archeological zone a few kilometres from Lecce. The latter, Virgil who sang of Eneus and hi heroic deeds, lived and died in Brindisi.

After the dissolution of the Western Roman Empire, Salento was in turn under the Byzantine and Norman political dominions.The Swebian emperor Frederic II was particularly fond of Apulia and Salento which consequently grew in importance.

After the Swebes came the Angevins and the Aragoneses. Under the Spanish domination, in 1480, Otranto was besieged by the Turks who knew that only a small Spanish garrison was on duty, and forced to surrender. The martyrdom of 800 men helped saving the Pope and Christianity in western Europe, since the Turks wanted to murder the Pope and join their fellow countrymen in Spain.

A long period of depression followed and the few local squires who owned large esates made the population live an extremely poor life and particularly the conditions of life of the rural population grew worse and worse.

It was only in the years that followed the Second World War that the economic condition of the entire Salento region improved and nowadays Salento, called the Italian Florida, is proud to show all its natural and artistic beauties. Salentine people are welcoming and therefore how long does it take you to come and check yourself?