Where we are

IL SALENTO

Stretching towards the East between the Adriatic and the Ionian, this land arouses a feeling of elsewhere, of wonder.
Salento is not just a place to go in the summer to go to the beach, eat well and have fun.
This land between two seas is a treasure trove of nature, culture, art and history, accumulated by the centuries-old meeting and the passage of countless civilizations from both East and West.
Not only its "cultural" capital (Lecce) but also every small town along the coasts and inland, preserve treasures of art, history and nature.
There is not only the Lecce Baroque to admire, but also the small Romanesque churches almost forgotten in the small villages and countryside, the splendor of Byzantine frescoes preserved in underground crypts, the Norman mosaics in Otranto or the Renaissance paintings in Galatina.
And all this together with the dazzling coastline, the green of nature reserves and olive groves, the mystery of the ancient Messapian cities.

WHERE WE ARE

SOGLIANO CAVOUR

Sogliano Cavour is a small town in the province of Lecce in Puglia.
Located in the hinterland of the Salento peninsula, it is halfway between the Ionian Sea and the Adriatic Sea. Sogliano Cavour together with other municipalities such as Cutrofiano is part of the Grecìa Salentina, it is one of the thirteen villages of Terra d'Otranto that preserved the Greek language and traditions.
The name Sogliano derives from Solium Jani, since it is believed that the sun god and the god Janus were worshiped in the locality, Cavour instead was added after the annexation to the Kingdom of Italy in honor of the first President of the Council of Ministers of the new Kingdom and to distinguish itself from the Romagna municipality of the same name in the province of Forlì.

The main tourist attractions that can be visited in Sogliano Cavour are:

- the Mother church of San Lorenzo Martire dates back to the 15th century and owes its name to the Augustinian Fathers, founders of the local monastic complex of Sant'Agostino. In the mid-nineteenth century, with the increase in population, it was necessary to expand the building and the church took on its current appearance and size. The restructuring also determined the fusion of the ancient Baroque style with the new neoclassical style. The facade is simple and linear with a single entrance portal, the interior, in the shape of a Latin cross, develops with three naves separated by pillars that support round arches. Of great artistic interest are the ancient floor mosaic in the left aisle, the 18th century pipe organ and the polychrome wooden statue of San Lorenzo.

- the Church of Maria Santissima Annunziata, annexed to the Augustinian monastery, was completed in 1660 and was built on a complex of Basilian caves of which the crypt of the Madonna del Riposo remains, which is accessed via a staircase located on the side of the main altar. The church is rich in numerous paintings and altars, variegated, which portray, represent religious scenes, this church, although small, contains within it magnificent things that make it a real cultural asset for the small town of Sogliano Cavour.

- the Monastery of Sant'Agostino dates back to the first half of the 17th century. The building has a simple facade devoid of decorative elements and the rooms are distributed around the quadrangular cloister with portico and central cistern. The portico has four arches on each side and each arch rests on four linear columns. The monastery, which is now the seat of the Town Hall, has been owned by the municipality since 1 September 1867, following the law of suppression of religious orders.

- the Church of the Holy Souls of Purgatory stands on a complex of Basilian caves dedicated to San Trifone. The first plant dates back to the 13th century and subsequently the building was rebuilt between the end of the sixteenth and the early seventeenth century. With the demolition of the town's ancient city walls, it was enlarged and restructured in the first half of the nineteenth century. It has an essential facade with a sober portal and a mixtilinear rose window, the interior has a single room, without decorations, with a simple high altar and wooden statues.

There is also the Baronial Palace, built on a defensive structure of the 12th century and the Menhir Pilamuzza testimony of the civilizations of the Neolithic era.