Otranto is where Italy ends. From Punta Palascìa: Albania 72km away, visible on clear days. The Cathedral (1088): a floor mosaic (1163, monk Pantaleone) covering the ENTIRE nave — Tree of Life incorporating Alexander the Great, King Arthur, zodiac signs, Adam and Eve. 860 years walked on. Behind the altar: 800 skulls of martyrs beheaded by Ottomans in 1480 for refusing conversion. Canonized 2013.
The mosaic floor: Walk it and READ it. The trunk runs the nave. Branches hold biblical scenes, myths, months, zodiac. Alexander the Great carried to heaven by griffins. King Arthur. The medieval mind mapped on stone you walk on. Cappella dei Martiri: 800 skulls on shelves. They face you. 544 years. Castello Aragonese: Rebuilt after the 1480 siege. Baia dei Turchi (3km north): Named for the Ottoman landing. Pine-backed, turquoise.
From Lecce: 40 min. Combine: Morning cathedral → afternoon Santa Cesarea Terme (thermal springs) → sunset Punta Palascìa (lighthouse, easternmost). Puglia →