The history of Martano is written on the stones of the palaces and churches, in the courtyard houses and among the cobbled streets of the historic center. We are in the Grecìa Salentina and among the nine countries that are part of it, Martano is the largest town in this area of Puglia. Martano's origins are also ancient and its historic center known as Antica Terra demonstrates this well.
The historic center of Martano
Martano is located about 25 km south of Lecce and is also defined as the small capital of the Grecìa Salentina. It is a town located in an important road junction that easily connects it to the various neighboring towns, while a few kilometers separate it from the most popular locations on the Adriatic coast such as Torre dell’Orso, Sant’Andrea, the Alimini Lakes and Otranto.
In the town there are several noble palaces, villas and squares but the most important historical buildings are those near the ancient village. From Via Assunta, the town's main street overlooked by several shops, bars and the clock tower, you can easily reach the Baronial Palace in Via Marconi, also known as Castello Aragonese. What you see today is what remains of the sixteenth-century fortification: the walls that must have been solid and imposing, as can be deduced from the only surviving tower, surrounded the oldest inhabited area until rejoining the Castle, at the point where find the clock tower.
This is where the historic center of Martano is located, the Antica Terra, where among the alleys there are buildings decorated with architectural elements such as coats of arms, portals and corner columns. Among these stands out the Mother Church dedicated to Our Lady of the Assumption, the patron saint of the town. The church was rebuilt by the craftsmen of Nardò towards the end of the sixteenth century to replace the ancient Greek rite building. It is recognizable by the Baroque-style Lecce stone façade: the upper order is a triumph of garlands, angels and animals, while the lower order is simpler and houses the entrance portal with elements from the ancient church such as the two lions and the statue of the Assumption.
Martano is a village of peasant tradition and still preserves the courtyard houses typical of Salento, the houses characterized by the presence of an open space, common or private, around which one or more housing units and with access to the street. Some houses are still inhabited, while others have been transformed into B & amp; B or holiday apartments and are very popular for the location of the town in Salento.
