The best walks and hikes around Sternatia

Saint Stephen, the patron saint of this church in Soleto, is one of the first seven deacons of the original Jerusalem church and the first martyr (martyr) of early Christianity. The church commemorates him on Boxing Day, December 26th. When Stephen recounted his vision of the open heavens: "But he, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God" (Acts 7:55), the people were so outraged that they drove him out of the city and stoned him.

Beautiful place in Puglia

Included in the Salento Bizantino collection komoot.it/collection/1811756/-salento-bizantino - Normally open even outside the times of worship, it is highly valued and easily usable. It marks the marked passage of iconography and frescoes from the Byzantine to the Latin. https://youtu.be/hMoC4z4T7TU

Included in the collection Salento Bizantino komoot.it/collection/1811756/-salento-bizantino - Church not always accessible, however it is planned to open on pre-established days and times (excluding Saturday and Sunday! unfortunately) I attach the photo with the indicated contact points and opening hours. https://zoomculture.it/santostefanosoleto/

Beautifully frescoed church that can be connected to the church of Santa Caterina di Galatina. Visiting opening hours differ according to the season. For information, refer to the websites dedicated to the Church.

It's a small town of just over seven thousand inhabitants. It belongs, together with the municipalities of Martignano, Sternatia, Zollino, Martano, Castrignano de 'Greci, Corigliano d'Otranto, Soleto and Melpignano, to the so-called area of ​​"Grecìa Salentina", a sub-area of ​​the province of Lecce where remains alive in some traditions the Greek-Byzantine culture spread in Puglia between the sixth and twelfth centuries and in particular the dialect, now considered as a real language, the 'griko'. The name of the town infact comes from 'Kalimera', meaning "good morning" in Greek. After all, the Byzantine influence continued to exist in the religious rite until 1663 and this also allowed the language to be preserved. Moving slightly away from the original route and follow to the right (with the church at your back) along via Montinari, the most important axis of the town, you can reach the small church of S. Antonio and the sider "hospitale" which once welcomed pilgrims and passing people. The road has beautiful courtyards, such as that of S. Calimero and S. Paolo. Some others smaller courtyards are an example of a poor peasant dwelling, equipped with a room in front (the 'sappuèrtu') which served as a tool's shed and animals'shelter.

Moving slightly away from the official route (100m on the left), at Via Garibaldi n.2 there is the San Paul chapel, a small and simple religious architecture linked to the famous myth of the 'Tarantism'. The legend told that the Apostles Peter and Paul, during their travel around the world, stopped at Galatina and were hosted by a local in their home, which stood where the Chapel is based today. To thank him for his kind hospitality, St. Paul gave man and his descendants the power to heal all those who had been bitten by poisonous spiders, defined in the dialect as "tarante". Simply by drinking the water from the well, placed inside the house and making the sign of the cross on the wound, that brutal disease could be defeated. The feast held on June 29 is linked to the figure of Saint Paul and to this legend. In that occasion crowd in the squares dancing the rhythm of the 'pizzica-pizzica' played with tambourines, accordions and singing accompaniment.

Overlooking St. Peter's Square, in the area of ​​the historic center where once stood the main gate 'Porta Maggiore', the mother church dedicated to the patron saints Peter and Paul has a spectacular façade, a sign of the Baroque style, which characterizes much of the religious building and private city. Built since 1633, the current church is the result of renovations that took place between the seventeenth and seventeenth centuries. The interior, marked by three naves, has sider chapels, frescoed ceilings and several paintings and sculptures from the XVI to the XVIII century.