What to see in Salve
Our journey to discover Salve begins with an unforgettable walk through the countryside among dry stone walls and pagghiare, the typical Salento constructions that farmers used to store tools and live in with their families during the summer. Stop at the chapel of Santu Lasi (San Biagio) to discover the Byzantine frescoes and a majestic statue of the Saint in finely crafted Lecce stone. Not far away is the white farmstead Santu Lasi, lime-painted, where, with a very respectful restoration, the farming civilization is revived among rose gardens, dry stone walls, and succulent plants on stone hedges.
From Torre Pali to Posto Vecchio with the most famous Pescoluse it’s a succession of emotions, where the sea with its thousand shades of blue combines with good food, archaeological testimonies of the countryside, and a medieval village where time seems to have stopped. But the greatest emotion will be given to you by the inhabitants of Salve for their sincere and refined hospitality.
Archaeological sites with the Salento little train
In Salento you can discover the archaeological sites with the Salento little train. And for a complete and competent guide on the territory, the ideal is to rely on the experts of the Arches Association. On the beaches, it will be possible to take sailing, windsurfing, and kite surfing courses thanks to Local Crew and Salento Wind Finder. And to enjoy the sea from dawn to dusk, the choice is to stay on the beach all day thanks to the services offered by the beach resorts, real restaurants and lounge bars by the sea, such as Lido Ristorante La Cozza and Lido Venere at Posto Vecchio, which also offer live music for unforgettable evenings.
After being enchanted by the sea, on board the Salento little train you can set off for an excursion in the countryside of Salve, on the Ionian side of Salento. Few know that right near the famous lido Le Maldive del Salento there is the most original dolmen in Puglia: carved from rock excavation it is half embedded in the ground and half turns its typical slab-altar of stone sacrifices towards the sky, facing west. Then going up the heights of Salve you reach a necropolis where you can admire the largest tumulus tomb among all known ones: it is 100 square meters and surely must have belonged to an important clan flourishing 2,500 years before Christ. Crossing the countryside, you experience the thrill of entering a cave inhabited since Prehistory by Neanderthal Man 70,000 years ago. It is the only prehistoric cave visitable in Salento and is located in the Montani area.
Salve, authentic village of Italy
The sun sets on the horizon, the countryside and the sea turn orange. It’s time to return to Salve to explore the village of Salve. Having become part of the Authentic Villages of Italy, in Salve time seems to have stopped. The excursion starts from Borgo Terra, the medieval village where the little streets intersect perfectly and where you will be surprised by the beauty of Palazzo Montano, a tower house from 1563, splendidly restored. Borgo Terra divides the two squares, one religious and the other political of the city. On the religious square look the Main Church and Palazzo Ramirez, which, owned by the municipality, houses the Tourist Information Office, the Library, and is used as a cultural container for large and small events.
In Palazzo Ramirez, thanks to the Urban Youth Workshop, some young people have brought to life small but great entrepreneurial ideas that restart tradition: Silvia Dongiovanni, after working in Milan and Paris in the fashion field, returned home, creating a fashion maison with the brand Ground Ground which enhances organic fabrics and colors of the earth, Andrea De Simeis produces paper from natural fibers like prickly pear, fig, and mulberry. Melissa Calò of the Arches Association offers handwoven fabrics, worked strictly by hand and painted with natural colors.
The Main Church, whose first construction dates back to the Middle Ages, has been rebuilt several times after being hit by the earthquake of 1743. In 1938 the vault collapsed. But the church rose more beautiful than ever, among baroque altars, eighteenth-century stuccoes and paintings from the best painting schools. So much splendor is an expression of the rich landowning class who had olive oil as their gold. In fact, not far from the church is the underground mill where oil was extracted to light streets and squares throughout Europe, London first. The Salentines were the sheikhs of the time. Hence the rich churches and noble palaces with elegant forms and secret gardens.
The music of the oldest organ in Puglia, built in 1628 and preserved to us in its original structure, will fascinate you. In Salve, in fact, organ concerts are often organized to enhance this priceless treasure, kept in the main church. Among the decorations stands out the bas-relief of a good priest, sanctified by the faithful: Alessandro Cardone, who would literally strip off his clothes if he met a poor man on the street.
Surrounded by a metaphysical charm is the Shrine of Santa Marina, in the Ruggiano district. Its facade blazes orange and red at sunset. We are on the pilgrimage route that made a stop at Ruggiano and Leuca Piccola before arriving at the shrine where the world ended (of Santa Maria de Finibus Terrae). Next to the Shrine is the well where pilgrims drew precious water and the guesthouse where they spent the night. The devotion to Santa Marina of Bithynia is linked to the Shrine, who protects the liver and, as in an ancient cult, the local inhabitants invoked her when they saw the rainbow rise on the horizon.
In Salento, the East and the West harmoniously merge. You read it in the polyhedral culture of the Salentines, in the decorations of the houses and in the gaze of San Nicola, the Eastern Saint also venerated in Salve on the fourth Sunday of May. His wooden statue has a peculiarity: one eye is blue and the other green, symbol of the East and the West which in Salento have one soul and merge harmoniously.
The Maldives of Salento
At Marine di Salve on the Ionian coast of Salento, just 15 kilometers from Santa Maria di Leuca and thirty from Gallipoli, you will find the beaches Maldives of Italy. Journalists, opinion leaders, and travelers were the ones who coined this name for this stretch of Salento beach after admiring the beauty of the places, the colors of the sea and sand, where the BLUE flag often flies.
Among the most prestigious covers, we recall last year’s MarcoPolo cover dedicated to these locations, calling them the Maldives of Italy, featuring a stunning and sexy Laura Barriales topless against a backdrop of a bright, sparkling sea.
It all started from a business idea suggested by the customers themselves to the owner of a beach club who renamed his bathing establishment the Maldives of Salento.
The Leuca Caves
To not miss out on anything, there is also the possibility of taking a boat excursion to discover the coast and the nearby Leuca caves with Noleggio Nettuno and Escursioni Nemo. On the Ionian Sea, you will be amazed by the Three Doors Cave, symbol of all the Leuca caves, the Devil’s Cave, the Love Cave which turns red at sunset. On the Adriatic side, a visit to the Cathedral Cave with the typical bell clapper sound, the Blowing Cave, and the Laghetto Cave at Ciolo which houses a lake of icy water reachable only through a narrow tunnel and on foot, should not be missed.
Where to stay
The hotels, guesthouses, holiday homes where to stay in Salento.
