Casarano: Frescoes, Palaces and Regional Culture

Casarano offers cultural and historical points of interest from different periods: a church on a hill about 160 metres high, Byzantine frescoes and mosaics, palaces with Baroque details, and traces of its working history and regional cuisine. If you are looking for a hotel, you could first consider which of these themes will shape your trip: sacred art, architecture or Salentine culture.

Sacred Art and History Passed Down

The Chiesa Madonna della Campana stands on a hill about 160 metres high and offers views of Casarano and the surrounding countryside. According to tradition, the church was built as a votive offering by a sailor whose life the Madonna had saved. Inside is a fresco of the Trinity with the Virgin Mary, Saint John the Baptist, and a host of saints and worshippers. The work is signed “frate Honofrio 1679”.

Casaranello preserves 5th-century mosaics in its presbytery. A Byzantine fresco cycle, created during a second phase of construction and decoration in the 10th to 11th centuries, is also still visible there. The mosaics and frescoes thus point to different periods, while the Madonna della Campana connects a work of art with a story passed down through tradition.

Palaces and Historic Spaces

Palazzo De Judicibus was built in the 17th century, while its present appearance is the result of extensive alterations in the 18th century. Notable details include a Baroque portal with volutes, topped by a loggia with two heart-shaped windows. The palazzo also has a formal Italian-style garden. Its construction history, portal and garden offer different clues to the building’s history.

Palazzo D’Aquino also dates from the 17th century and is now known as Palazzo De Lorenzi. It is also called “castello” and, with its 120-metre-long façade, is the largest palace in Casarano. Inside is a small chapel dedicated to Saint Anne. The long façade and chapel are the main features of this palace, while Palazzo De Judicibus stands out in particular for its successive construction phases and architectural details.

Another historic building is the underground oil mill, Frantoio ipogeo De Luca. It consists of two separate rooms: the left-hand room, with bases for Calabrian presses, dates from the 16th century, while the front room dates from the 18th century. Their different dates make it possible to understand the rooms as separate phases of construction.

Working History, Sound and Regional Cuisine

The Museo del Minatore contains documents, eyewitness accounts, work tools and mementos from a collection assembled by Lucio Parrotto since the second half of the 1940s. Parrotto was from Casarano, was a former miner and worked in Belgium. The Archivio Sonoro also contains a recording of “Santu Lazzaru” in the Casarano version. The cultural offering thus includes not only art and architecture, but also memories of work and a regional musical tradition.

Scurdijata is a peasant dish from the southern Salento area. Its ingredients include stale bread, cooked vegetables, legumes, potatoes and olive oil. At an edition of the Sagra ta Scurdijata in Casarano, you can sample Scurdijata and other typical Salentine specialities at food stalls. Dates and programmes vary from one edition to the next.

Travelling by Train

Casarano’s central railway station mainly offers connections to nearby towns. These include Lecce, Gallipoli and Galatina, which are cited as important tourist destinations in Salento. If you plan to use the train for your arrival or onward journey, check the timetable for your intended travel date.

Discover more destinations: Taviano, Casalabate, Villaggio Resta, Trepuzzi, Baia Verde, Cutrofiano, Seclì, San Pietro In Lama

For the broader travel overview: Lecce.