Nardò is a small town in Salento located inland and just a stone's throw from Gallipoli and some of the most beautiful marinas rising on the Ionian coast of this splendid land. The town of Nardò is a riot of Baroque art, courtyards and balconies in which the protagonist is the Lecce stone in all its nuances.
A look at the origins of beautiful Nardò
Nardò's origins date back to the 8th-3rd centuries BC when it was an important center of the ancient Messapi civilization. Soon the town was called by the name of Nerito, from the ancient Greek nar, meaning water, which then became Neretum in the Roman period due to the presence of the Emporium Naunia, near present-day Santa Maria al Bagno. The town, with the passage of time, then passed under the rule of different civilizations such as the Angevins and Normans, enjoying intense cultural activity since its birth, animated by culture and great talents such as Antonio De Ferraris, known as Il Galateo, and Ruggero Pazienza, author of the "Balzino."
As already mentioned, this small town in Salento is known for its historical and artistic value, which guarantees ample expression to the Baroque art that characterizes the entire Salento peninsula, starting with Lecce, by now the famous capital of Apulian Baroque. The historic center of Nardò in particular is rich in churches and religious monuments that testify to the importance of the city for the local diocese.
Certainly, taking a stroll through the streets of the village, the first monument that can attract the attention of any visitor is the Castle of Nardò, built around the 16th century, under Giovanni Antonio Acquaviva d'Aragona, becoming the home of the dukes Acquaviva d'Aragona from that very moment. Today the castle has been used as a municipal seat: the facade we can see dates back to the 1800s, in fact, and was superimposed on the original one by the Personè family, who had previously turned it into a real noble residence. The castle of Nardò, with its almond-shaped towers possesses some affinities with some of the most important and beautiful castles of the entire Salento, to mention a few the Castle of Corigliano and Otranto.
The Hosanna is another of the Baroque monuments located in the historic center of Nardò. It is a monument completely made of Lecce stone and is located right in the square of the same name , just at the entrance to the historic center of Nardò. The name comes from the inscription that is still clearly legible today that reads, "Hoc Hosanna ad dei cultura à fundamentis aere publico erigendum curarunt Octavius Theotinus et lupus Antonius Dimitri sindici 1603." There are several interpretations of its meaning: the most accredited states that it is a symbol with which the Church intended to exorcise any form of paganism that persisted in the past.
Nardò: one of the most important religious hubs in Salento
Testifying to the great devotion and importance attached to religion by the inhabitants of Nardò, the many churches scattered throughout the city still constitute a living testimony to the faith that has always animated the locals. In addition to the Church of St. Dominic, the Church of St. Anthony and the Church of the Purità incorporated into the Conservatory, the Cathedral of Maria Santissima Assunta, elevated in 1980 to Basilica Pontificia Minore, stands out.
The Cathedral was probably born as an abbey to house the Basilian monks who came to Nardò to escape iconoclastic persecution from the East: much of the building, however, was built at the time of the Norman domination that went on to oust the Byzantines in the early 1700s.
The Cathedral does not have its original structure today because of frequent remodeling over time following damage caused by several earthquakes between the 12th and 13th centuries. In particular, it consists of 3 interior naves marked by Gothic and Romanesque arches. It also houses some paintings by Sanfelice and others attributed to very important masters of painting such as the important frescoes of the Translation of the Relics of St. Gregory of Armenia and the Virgin and Child.
The paintings on the interior walls date from the 13th and 14th centuries. There is also a Baroque-style painting of Our Lady of Mount Carmel painted by Paolo de Matteis and placed on the first altar on the right, and a cedar wood crucifix dating from the 13th century found in the third chapel on the left.
Nardò is also unspoiled nature and scenic beauty.
Although located inland, Nardò is very close to some of the most breathtaking places in the whole of Puglia. Among these Santa Caterina, Santa Maria al Bagno and Porto Selvaggio are tourist destinations now well known for their crystal-clear sea and the nature that surrounds them, giving rise to coves and inlets that dot the entire Ionian coast. These are places that are striking for their simplicity and their unspoiled nature that allows not only to enjoy extraordinary landscapes at any hour of the day, but to practice a wide variety of activities such as trekking, jogging and horseback riding in the discovery of these places, certainly among the most beautiful in Salento.
