Around the Torre del Serpe there are echoes of legends: it is a literary place of ghosts and love encounters, it is in the background of the stories of Saracen invasions and martyrs. It is the heart of the identity of the city of Otranto and its symbol is on the emblem of the city where there is a black snake that wraps around a tower.
Torre del Serpe: where it is located
Torre del Serpe is located outside the town of Otranto. It was originally an oil lantern on the Otranto Canal; during the Swabian period, at the time of Frederick II, the old lighthouse was restored and perhaps transformed into a tower. In the second half of the sixteenth century it is the sentinel tower that has the task of monitoring the coast and all the areas around it. What we see is a ruined body, where only one wall and the extension of the base (shoe) are still visible. The appearance, however, is not all that remains of the tower. It is a strong presence that resists the wind and salt, an always visible protagonist, even from a distance.
Trekking routes at the Torre del Serpe
From under the tower the view sweeps over the open sea, around there are slightly undulating fields and Mediterranean plants. Depending on the season and the winds, the scents of nature are more or less persistent. A nice path to follow - simple and suitable for those who love trekking / hiking, horseback riding or mountain biking - is the path that leads from Torre del Serpe to the nearby Torre dell’Orte. The latter communicated visually with the Torre del Serpe and with the Torre della Palascìa, which has now disappeared.
Torre dell’Orte looks more like a fortress than a tall and towering sentry tower. It was built in the second half of the sixteenth century and after a long time, when it no longer had any military function, a masseria was born around its powerful and square body.
With a longer route, organized for a day of trekking, you can continue to the Baia dell'Orte, one of the most beautiful points of the Otranto coast. Through a path, between rocks and nature, you walk a few steps from the sea and on the other side a cliff rises.
The path leads to the Punta Palascìa Lighthouse, the easternmost point of Italy, a suggestive place to visit in any season.
