Maglie is rich in monuments and points of interest of disarming beauty: Baroque churches signed by the fathers of Lecce Baroque; the monument to Francesca Capece; the Palaeontological Museum “Alca” De Lorentis; the birthplace and the statue of Aldo Moro; dolmen and menhir.

1. Baroque churches signed by the fathers of Lecce Baroque;
2. the monument to Francesca Capece;
3. the Palaeontological Museum “Alca” De Lorentis;
4. the birthplace and the statue of Aldo Moro;
5. dolmen and menhir.

Paleontological Museum Alca “De Lorentis”

The most important of Europe In its centre Maglie hosts the fourth most important paleontological museum in Europe. Inside the museum there are 4 main sections that build up a cultural and historical itinerary:

1. Geology and Paleontology,
2. Paleolithic and Prehistoric Art,
3. Neolithic and Age of Metals,
4. Ethnographic and sub-Saharan African art.

The first three thematic areas: Paleontology, Paleolithic and Neolithic Visiting the museum is like taking a 65 million year long trip, from the Cetacean to the Iron Age. Each showcase emphasizes the natural, wildlife and human environment of Salento: from the striking coral reef that embraced the coasts of Salento 35 million years ago, to the lagoons of the Paleolithic microclimatic environment, passing through the wildlife study. Hippos, hyenas and rhinos that lived next to the Neanderthal Man, the Alca Impennis penguin now extinct, and the Mammouth that lived next to Homo Sapiens during the last phase of the Ice Age. All discoveries about prehistoric people were discovered near the sea in the famous Romanelli Cave and Cervi Cave near Badisco Port, important findingss discovered in the area of Otranto and the Alimini Lakes and in the nearby areas of Cattie and St. Sidero in Maglie. African and Etnographic art: Santini Room The Ethnographic section, inaugurated in 2009, exposes a very rare sub-Saharan art collection donated by the Tuscan scholar Santini, to the Civic Museum of Maglie in 2003. This thematic area consists of 120 findings in bronze, ivory, stone, wood of great tribal tribes and great kingdoms. In addition, two rifles were used for poaching and “big hunting” of large specimens of African animals such as lions, elephants and rhinos.

Maglie, while being a small town, encloses a precious artistic and cultural heritage, made up of churches, monuments and ancient palaces. We advise you to visit them because it is really worth it.

Church of the Madonna of Miracles

Simple and liney outside, rich of frescoes and paintings in the inside There are few news in our possession on this baroque masterpiece. What has been discovered about this small Marian church comes from epigraphs and very few documents. It was erected by the Archbishop of Otranto Marcello Acquaviva, the lay partnership of the Congregation settled in it 22 years later. In 1645, the sculptor Giovanni Donato Chiarello (who was the author of several precious works in the churches of Casarano, Castrì, Melendugno and Squinzano) made up the structure formed by two pairs of columns on the main altar. In 1884 his sculptural skills were not appreciated and and, three year later, it was called another Ligurian sculptor Giulio Cesare Penna called “Il Vecchio”. He made the portal in leccese stone with tortilla columns, leaning against the flamboyant Sculpture of the Virgin with the Child. This made the church look similar to the church of the Teresian in Lecce. The prospect of the church is clean and almost minimalist, departing from the eccentric splendour of the churches that are symbol of the Lecce baroque. The interior is characterized by a single nave plant. Inside many paintings and frescoes. On the main aisle the image of the Virgin with the Child and around the Saints: Abbot Anthony, Basil, Anthony from Padua and along the perimeter of the Apostles. The effigy of the Virgin is attributed to the painter from Lecce Cesare Verrio. The Apostles were made by Nicola Maria from Tuglie in 1659. The tympan was attributed by some to Marco Antonio Fiorentino from Corigliano, follows the dictates of the Zimbalo school. The frescoes of the nave vault date back to the 1700s and represent dancing angels and the expulsion of the Eden of Adam and Eve.

Church of Santa Maria of the Steps

Heritage of incredible beauty in its disarming semplicity This church, belonging to the Order of the Conventual Friars, introduced to Maglie by Baron Antonio Lubelli in 1585 and then suppressed, stood on a blessed panoramic position. It was the most suitable environment for friars. The church stood beside the hospital, run by the town and university after the order was abolished and the convent was assigned to the cloistered nuns, this structure became part of the hospital and the few cells left were used as lazaret for those who had been hit by the cholera epidemic. The convent, by Michela Tamborino’s will, was assigned to the Congregation of Charity and, always for her will, it was enlarged and joined to the hospital, becoming an integral part of it. There is nothing left of the former convent, unlike the church that has retained a good part of its initial features. Equipped in 1668 with two altars dedicated to the Virgin of the Rosary and the Virgin of Steps (work by Ambrogio Martinelli from Copertino), the church received in 1768 the prospectus with two orders and inside it stucco ornamentation were used for the vaults and for the altars naves. The church was consecrated in 1751 and it was enriched by the splendid canvas of the Annunciation of the Virgin, made by Domenico Carella.

The Campanile of the Collegiata

Its “height” stands out for 48 metres and domains the city of Maglie 16th-17th century: they are an image inserted above the altar of the church of Our Lady of Grace, the oldest imago urbis of Maglie and the engraving of Desmanlius-Berthauly in which the monument is supported by regent statues which were never realized. The tower has a square plan, four floors, composed in the Doric, Jonic, Corinthian and Tuscanic style. Everything is crowned by an octagonal cusp covered with polychrome majolica tiles. Everything is dominated by a spherical globe, surmounted by a weathercock depicting St. Nicholas, the protector of the city. You can admire it in its beauty beside the main Church and uplifting a group of ancient leccese stone buildings.

The Virgin Column

A beautiful Lady at the church of Thoughts Emilio Panarese affirms that “in Maglie the stones tell more of the documents” given the almost total lack of archives and historical documents about the monuments. Even in this case, the column, with its stones and its beauty, attracts the interest of many tourists visiting the town of Maglie. We do not have any information about the author of this wonderful masterpiece in leccese stone, the typical white stone of Salento, still we can describe it in its details. The column stands on a quadrangular base, with the statues of the four protectors of the city: the two bishops St. Nicholaus and St. Oronzo and the two confessors St. Anthony from Padua and St. Leonardo. From the characteristics of the monument a consideration can be drawn: the monument dates certainly back after 1684 because its stand decorated with statues reminds of the marble column of St. Oronzo in Lecce, built by the Zimbalo in the merchants’s square in 1684. The same type of stand was also adopted at Leuca and Presicce. Another reference to the artist Zimbalo can be seen from the ornament of the balustrades on which the plinth of the column is set and fixed and on which the statue of the Virgin and the Child emerges.

In addition to the baroque churches, Maglie has two modern churches that we recommend you to visit because the architectural projects enclosed in them, are really interesting. These are in chronological order:

• Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus;
• Church of Our Lady Immaculate.

Sacred Heart

Modern and essential A hundred meters from the church of St. Anthony Abbot, there is the church of the Sacred Heart. The structure is modern because of its recent construction: the first stone was laid in 1949 and the oratory was built around the ’60s. Designed by the architect Provenzano, it is a temple with a single nave. The high altar is in marble and, behind it, a mosaic of the Vatican School depicting the Sacred Heart of Jesus during the apparition of Alalocque to St. Margaret is displayed. The other two mosaics are from the same school: the one depicting St. Lucy and the one of the Virgin of Syracuse. The painting by S. Antonio Abate is of ancient workmanship, while more recent are those of S. Antonio da Padova and the Virgin of the Rosary, painted by the artist Antonio Montefusco.

Madonna Immacolata

The most recent church in Maglie Designed by the architect Provenzano in 1967 and completed in 1973, this church is the most recent in the city of Maglie. Large and spacious, it can accommodate 1000 worshippers. The interior is minimalist and bare, the exterior is in Pompeian red and marble. Inside, of valuable workmanship, the mosaic of the Vatican school depicting the Immaculate Conception, the marble altar created together with the stations of the cross by Giuseppe Sisinni, the wooden crucifix by Giuseppe Conte, the painting of the seventeenth-century school depicting the Virgin, belonging to the municipality of Maglie but entrusted to the church.

Maglie is rich in baronial palaces, historical monuments and modern monuments. If you pass through the Salento’s Città Salotto, we strongly recommend you to see and admire:

1. Town Hall; ;
2. Statue of Francesca Capece;
3. The prisons of the baronial palace Capece, now Liceo Ginnasio Francesca Capece (when they are visible);
4. Palazzo Garzya, the palace of the spies;
5. Villa Tamborino.

All this is not necessarily in that order.

Palazzo Garzya

The palace of the spies, in the heart of Maglie Built in the early 1800s, t is located in the possibility of the Liceo F. Capece. The peculiarity of this beautiful building is a circular watchtower, located on the south-east side of the prospectus, through which, the “spies” could control everything that happened in the popular square of Maglie. Recently, this building has been used as a film set of “The prefect of iron” film focused on the history of the Prefect Mori.

Town Hall

In the centre of Maglie, in Piazza Aldo Moro, you can admire the Town Hall. Built in the first half of the 19th century, the building originally had a ground floor with five arches used for the weekly market, two rooms for the offices of the Conciliator, a room for the chief of guard of the town and the prisons. The first floor was reserved for the Regio giudicato and the municipal administration. On the elevation you can admire the public clock, whose car is located in the upper part of the building.

Statue of Francesca Capece

In front of the town hall, there is the monument to Francesca Capece. This splendid work in white Carrara marble was created by Antonio Bortone da Ruffano. The statue depicts Francesca Capece, last feudatory of Maglie, who, sitting on an armchair, comforts a child who, in his right hand has the symbol of faith, a cross and a book that represents knowledge. In his left hand, the child has a shield, which represents strength. These themes, as mentioned above, were dear to Francesca Capece. For this reason she gave all her possessions to the youth culture. This work was inaugurated in 1900.

Statue and the house of Aldo Moro

The famous statesman from Maglie murdered by communist terrorists Not far from the Town Hall, continuing along via S. Giuseppe. there is the statue of Aldo Moro, in front of the house that gave birth to the famous statesman, now used as the seat of the University of the Third Age. Inaugurated in 92 by the President of the Republic Scalfaro, the monument represents the statesman, thoughtful in the intent to walk, with the Unità newspaper. This is because he had always tried, when he was alive, to mediate between the interests of his party, the Christian Democrats, and the interests of the Communist Party.

Villa Tamborino

The municipal villa is the green lung of the city of Maglie, for those who love nature and outdoor fitness Villa Tamborino, designed by Tommaso Pispico for Senator Achille Tamborino, was born as a private garden in front of Palazzo Tamborino. To access the park, you must pass through a neoclassical pavilion carved with floral motifs. At the end of the main avenue was built an octagonal lookout, under which were created artificial caves frescoed with marine scenes. The park is inspired by the English gardens and is now open to all, because it was donated to the municipality of Maglie. During the summer it is used for events and theatrical and musical reviews.

Ancient buildings used as B&Bs, charming and charming structures and a properly equipped hotel Maglie and Magliesi are famous for the cult of hospitality: they love to make guests and tourists feel at home. Over the years, countless small, charming accommodation facilities have sprung up next to the now historic but modernised city hotel, the Rodia.

Hotel Rodia

A comfortable three-star modernized Hotel Rodia has been completely renovated. It offers half board and full board and a good internal restaurant service, where you can taste local dishes and recipes. The rooms are superior, classic, triple and quadruple, well furnished, with en suite bathroom. If you don’t have many crickets in your head, this is the structure for you.

Corte dei Granai

A charming relais in the heart of the historic centre As part of a larger project of hoteliers spread in the heart of the historic center, through the recovery of old houses, Corte dei Granai is the flagship of the historic center of Maglie. Rooms with original names, from the Senatore Cappelli suite to the Odisseo room, the offer and comfort is of the highest level. They range from the private sauna in the room to the whirlpool bathtub, free wi-fi, safe and bath/laundry set for everyday use. The breakfast service is excellent, as is the superb location in the heart of the city, immersed in silence because in an area closed and away from traffic noise. Private parking and the convenience of forgetting the car, are included in the price. Book well in advance, if you do not want to fall back on another type of facilities and prices.

Belami

Historic house used as a 4-star hotel, gourmet restaurant with wine cellar and café Bel Ami is located next to the church and the column of the Madonna delle Grazie. The architectural project for the recovery of this beautiful mansion was a success. A glass partition acting as a skylight illuminates the café hall. The rooms are suites equipped with all comforts, free wi-fi and restaurant service of the highest level. The wine cellar is unique and, inside, you can find real gems. The furnishings are modern, minimalist but not obvious and the lighting of the structure is elegant. We advise you, for your holidays or for your meetings and business dinners, to book here.

The best restaurants to enjoy the flavors of Salento, our land Maglie meets the palate and tastes of everyone: from the meat restaurant to the fish restaurant, from pizzerias to metro and gourmet. Each restaurant will have something to tell you and a thousand good reasons to be told. Let’s proceed in order: from the meat restaurant to the fish restaurant, in a few steps and last but not least, the pizzerias.

Allegra Scottona

The world of grilled meat told by Max and his competent staff Allegra Scottona is a spartan place, wooden tables, clean room and friendly staff. At Max you have to ask for advice for your next steak or for a Z filet. He will be able to advise you and give you his best. Leave it to him. Excellent selection of meats, spectacular cold room. You will find superlative Italian meat and foreign meat: black angus, American tomahawk, Danish fillets. All accompanied by excellent local olive oil and a selection of Italian and foreign salts targeted. The contours are exceptional. We recommend booking because you may run the risk of having dinner during the evening of live music and the seats decrease in a very short time.

Bel Ami

Restaurant and wine cellar: a hotel that knows how to take its guests by the throat As mentioned earlier, Bel Ami is a hotel with restaurant, wine cellar, bar and cafe. A truly complete offer for its guests. The restaurant stands out for its excellent service, complete wine list and excellent food. We suggest you take a large raw of fresh fish: red prawns from Gallipoli, seafood a go-go will cheer up your meals. Obviously these are our preferences. If you don’t really know what to eat, get advice from our professional and competent staff. The restaurant, in addition to having a hundred indoor seats, offers the opportunity to eat under the stars, in the space inside the structure. Recommended in summer, in the evenings of sirocco when the heat and heat are unbearable.

Locanda dei semplici

The new fish restaurant of a family of restaurateurs Fabrizio, owner of the restaurant “Locanda dei Semplici” (belongs to a family of restaurateurs, owner of “Il Baffo” in Otranto, a cult place for catering Otranto on the waterfront) last year gave rise to a new concept for the catering of fish in the city of Maglie. The place is really small, welcoming. You eat really well. From appetizers to dessert everything is prepared with care. We recommend that you take the menu, read it carefully and follow your instincts, because it’s all very good. From spaghetti with “mugnuli” to tuna fillet with sesame, it’s all fresh and tasty. We’ll talk about it in this post here. In case of doubts and uncertainties, Eva will know how to advise you. Reservation recommended, especially in summer. Piazzetta Lama is really charming and romantic and the tables outside are very few.

Fusticino

Excellent gourmet pizza Maybe you’ve seen a couple of posts on our Facebook page and in our Instagram channel about Federico Troisi and the noble art of pizza making. The fusticino is a welcoming place, with indoor and outdoor rooms, the pizza and raw materials are of high quality. We go from the great classics of pizza, from Margherita to the 4 Stagioni, up to the pizzas of the day, or gourmet pizzas with an irresistible taste and exceptional. We recommend you dine here and we remind you that this is not a Neapolitan pizza.

Classico

Modern restaurant and lounge bar that recalls the atmosphere of the great metropolises The place is spectacular, housed in an old building, the interior is modern, wi-fi free, spacious and comfortable seating, comfortable sofas and soft lighting. Classico is a unique restaurant: open from morning at six until late at night. In the morning there is a cafeteria and aperitif service: it is possible to have excellent breakfasts with perfect iced coffee and fine pastries or, before lunch, an excellent aperitif.  At lunch and dinner there is a restaurant service: Italian cuisine and sushi are the pride of this beautiful restaurant. We recommend booking especially when there are evenings with live music or dj-set. Recommended.