Brief Historical Overview

Situated on a promontory that extends toward the sea, the city owes its significance to its port, which has been considered the safest in the Adriatic since ancient times. Originally a Messapian city, it became a Roman colony and then a municipality in 247 B.C. As such, it participated in significant events in Roman history, including the Second Punic War and the civil struggles between Caesar and Pompey. In 40 B.C., Octavian and Antony signed the Foedus Brundusinum here. During this period, Brindisi thrived culturally, partly due to the presence of Cicero, who, during his exile, stayed with the Brindisian Lenius Flaccus.

The city boasted numerous public and private buildings, of which few traces remain today. The most significant of these are the two Columns, considered the terminal markers of the Via Appia. Unfortunately, after an earthquake, only one column remained standing, while the other was transferred to Lecce in the 17th century to erect a column for Saint Oronzo, who, according to popular belief, had saved the Salento region from the plague. The sculptures on the surviving capital, depicting marine deities, reflect the importance of Brindisi’s maritime life. The Via Appia and Via Traiana facilitated communication with Rome, increasing the city’s prosperity.

After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, Brindisi suffered from Saracen raids and the destruction of the city by the Lombards under Romuald, Duke of Benevento, in 674.

In 886, it was the protospatario Lupo who attempted the city’s first reconstruction, as noted by the inscription at the base of the surviving column in the port.

However, in the 10th century, with the rise of Benedictine centers, the city began to recover, leading to a full revival under the Normans and the Swabians. During this time, the Cathedral, Frederick II’s Castle, the Cloister, and the Church of San Benedetto with its beautiful sculpted portal were built, as well as the Church of Cristo with its Romanesque façade, the interesting Church of S. Lucia, the Church of S. Giovanni al Sepolcro— a unique example of Romanesque architecture with a central plan and protiro in southern Italy, the Gothic Church of San Paolo, and the Church of S. Maria del Casale, declared a national monument. These vestiges represent the best witnesses of the world of yesteryear.

Under Angevin and Aragonese rule, Brindisi received an organized urban plan that transformed its appearance. However, Venetian and Spanish rule, along with earthquakes and epidemics, led to the city’s economic decline between the 16th and 18th centuries. The reopening of the canal between the inner and outer ports, which had been obstructed first by Caesar during the civil war to prevent Pompey’s escape and a second time in the 15th century by Prince Orsini del Balzo to block Venetian access, eventually improved the situation. In the 18th century, under the reign of Ferdinand IV, reopening work was carried out and documented by the engineer Andrea Pigonati.

The inauguration of the railway station in 1865 and new maritime communication routes boosted trade, improving the city’s conditions and stimulating a construction boom, even though all activities still took place within the Angevin walls. Around 1950, Brindisi began to expand into the suburbs and became home to numerous industrial complexes, significantly transforming its landscape.

1 – Western Waterfront and Swabian Castle

The western inlet of the inner harbor is dominated by the large structure of the Castello di Terra, known to have been fully completed in 1233. The building was used as a penal colony from 1814 to 1908. After being decommissioned by the Ministry of Justice in 1908, the castle was acquired by the Italian Navy. During World War I, Brindisi served as a crucial naval base for Italy. During World War II, after September 8, 1943, King Vittorio Emanuele disembarked in Brindisi, which then became the capital of Italy. The castle housed the main command functions during this time.

Opposite the castle is the Italian Naval League, which offers mooring services to boat owners, and the Fishermen’s Village. Separated by a gate from the castle is the ancient Sciabiche district, which once housed most of Brindisi’s population, composed almost exclusively of fishermen, and is now reduced to a few remaining houses.

Continuing eastward, you will come across the stairways leading to Piazza S. Teresa, where you’ll find the so-called Fountain of the Empire, built in 1939 by the Provincial Administration.

To the left, on Via Camassa and Corte Capozziello, are “isodomic blocks” (large stones placed using a technique already employed by the Greeks during the Hellenistic era), which are likely remnants of the defensive system of Messapian-Roman origin.

Further ahead is the Montenegro Palace, built in the 17th century. It features an elegant façade with a portal framed by columns that support the ledge on which the loggia rests. Inside, on the wall of the access staircase, there is an inscription dedicated to Emperor Trajan, found in the palace garden, in recognition of his restoration of the road from Benevento to Brindisi, known as the Appia-Traiana. In front of the palace is the ferry dock connecting the city to the Casale district (about 2 km away) and to the Monument to the Sailor.

Il Castello Svevo visto da via A. Vespucci (quartiere Casale)

Castello Svevo

Il Castello Svevo visto dalla Lega Navale (quart. Casale)

Il cancello dell’Arsenale Militare Marittimo

 

Tratto superstite della banchina delle vecchie Sciabiche

Fontana dell’Impero

Tratto di banchina con vista sul Monumento al Marinaio

Via Camassa e corte Capozziello, con i probabili resti del sistema difensivo di origine messapico-romana

Palazzo Montenegro

 

Iscrizione dedicata all’imperatore Traiano, resosi benemerito per aver restaurato la via che da Benevento raggiungeva Brindisi detta appunto Appia-Traiana

Attracco dei traghetti che collegano la città al rione Casale e al Monumento al Marinaio

2 – Eastern Waterfront and Roman Columns

After Via S. Chiara, which runs alongside Palazzo Montenegro and takes its name from the now-disappeared church and convent of the Poor Clares, a series of ancient structures and monuments come into view:

Palazzo INA: Inside this building are the ancient remnants of the Church of S. Giovanni dei Greci.

Casa del Turista: This is a significant site with traces from various historical periods, from Roman times to the modern era. Excavations that began in 1999 revealed walls and remains dating back to the 14th century, connected to the Church of San Giovanni dei Greci. Further investigations uncovered medieval and Roman artifacts, including tombs, masonry, ceramic fragments, and bronze coins, associated with an imperial bath complex discovered in 1985. The current three-story structure shows various modifications over time, with walled arches and an entrance arch decorated with a cross pattée, possibly linked to the Templars.

Hotel Internazionale: Formerly the Albergo delle Indie Orientali, this hotel was built when Brindisi served as a stopover for the Indian Mail route.

Virgilian Staircase and Roman Columns: Piazza and Via Colonne are named after the columns that marked the end of the Via Appia. Their purpose and date are still debated, but they are believed to date back to the mid-1st century BC, based on the type of capital. In the 16th century, an earthquake toppled one of the columns, leaving only a segment on the large marble base. The remaining pieces, along with the capital, were taken to Lecce to build the Column of St. Oronzo, as a sign of gratitude to the saint for saving the Salento region from a severe plague. The surviving column stands 19 meters high, with a capital adorned with acanthus leaves at the bottom and figures of deities at the top. To protect it from the elements, the original capital has been moved to Palazzo Nervegna (Sala della Colonna) and replaced with a replica. An inscription on the base commemorates Lupo, the Byzantine governor who lifted Brindisi out of poverty after the Lombard conquest by Duke Romualdo I.
The sculptural complex, situated right at the entrance to the harbor, provides a stunning view across the water, allowing one to glimpse the Monument to the Sailor on the opposite shore and even the Alfonsino Castle on the Island of St. Andrea in the distance. Adjacent to the small square are Palazzo Perez (18th century) and Palazzo Scolmafora, which was destroyed by a fire in the 17th century and rebuilt by the owner with the motto “Combusta revivescit” (What has been burned is reborn to new life) engraved on the window lintels, still visible today.

The Neo-Gothic Palazzo Dionisi: Located in the square of the same name, this building leads directly up to the magnificent portal of Palazzo De Leo, the ancestral home of the family that included Archbishop Annibale, a distinguished scholar who gave his name to the Public Archiepiscopal Library.

Piazzetta Vittorio Emanuele II (known locally as “Giardinetti”): This tree-lined square features the Dolphin Fountain (A. Belliazzi, 1876), the Monument to Virgil (F. Bodini, 1988), and the recent (2024) addition of a bronze bust of Mahatma Gandhi. The statue, a replica of the one gifted by India to the city of Hiroshima, commemorates Gandhi’s historic visit to Brindisi on December 14, 1931. After attending the second conference on the Indian question in London, Gandhi altered his return route to India, making a stop in the port city. His farewell wave with a white handkerchief as he departed from Brindisi remains an iconic image in the city’s contemporary history.

To the left: The Maritime Station.

To the right: The Customs and Harbor Master’s offices, with an inscription commemorating the rescue of the Serbian army, when 115,000 refugees were transported to Brindisi in 1916.

Via S. Chiara vista dall’alto

Resti della chiesa di S. Chiara e annesso Convento

Tratto di Lungomare

 

Palazzo INA che contiene al suo interno le antiche vestigia dell’antica chiesa di S. Giovanni dei Greci

Casa del Turista con reperti medievali e romani

Hotel Internazionale

Tratto di lungomare

Palazzo del Lloyd Austriaco poi diventato Lloyd Triestino di Navigazione

Palazzina Belvedere e Collezione Archelogica Faldetta

Scalinata Virgiliana e Colonne Romane

 

 

Palazzo Perez (XVIII secolo)

Palazzo Scolmafora

Palazzo Dionisi sulla omonima piazzetta

Palazzo De Leo

Palazzo della Capitaneria di Porto con la meridiana del 1917, la grande epigrafe a ricordo del salvataggio dell’esercito serbo e targa bronzea di conferimento della Croce al merito di guerra alla città

Meridiana del porto

Epigrafe a ricordo del salvataggio dell’esercito serbo

Targa bronzea di conferimento della Croce al merito di guerra alla città

Piazza Vitt. Emanuele II (per i brindisini i Giardinetti) con la Fontana dei Delfini, il Monumento a Virgilio e, la recentissima (2024) acquisizione del busto in bronzo di Mahatma Gandhi

Monumento a Virgilio

Fontana dei Delfini

Busto di Mahatma Gandhi

La Stazione Marittima

 

3 – Piazza Duomo

In the large square, you can admire:

Palazzo Balsamo: At the end of Via Duomo, the 14th-century Balsamo Loggia comes into view. Supported by eight arches carved with strange depictions of monsters and human figures, it is thought to have been the ancient site of the Palazzo della Zecca, established by Charles of Anjou in Brindisi. The lower part features two ogival arches that are currently sealed. The current owner bears the Balsamo surname.

Palazzo del Seminario: On the right side of the square is the Palazzo del Seminario, designed by architect Mauro Manieri in the 18th century. The facade features a loggia with eight statues representing the liberal arts.

De Leo Library: Located within the Palazzo del Seminario, this is the first public library established in the Salento region, rich in parchments, incunabula, and manuscripts.

The Episcopal Palace: The residence and headquarters of the bishop.

Palazzo De Marco: Situated between Via Montenegro and Via S. Chiara, this building is named after the family that constructed it at the end of the 17th century. In 1887, it was purchased by the Community of the Sisters of Saint Vincent, who dedicated themselves in Brindisi to the promotion of culture and activities benefiting young girls, teaching them skills such as embroidery and sewing.

The Cathedral: The original construction dates back to the early 12th century. It was first restored in the 15th century but was almost entirely destroyed by the earthquake of 1743. The cathedral was rebuilt in its current form. Adjacent to the cathedral is the bell tower, commissioned by Archbishop G.B. Rivellini during the same period. Of the ancient Norman cathedral, only the external apse and remnants of the original mosaic floor remain, visible in the left nave and behind the main altar. The mosaic work was executed by the same artist who worked on the Otranto Cathedral. The 16th-century wooden choir, with its beautifully carved representations of saints and mythical creatures, is particularly noteworthy. On the side altars, there are two paintings by the Salento painter O. Tiso, a pupil of Solimena. In the Chapel of the Sacrament, there is an altar dedicated to St. Theodore with a painting of St. Theodore on horseback, set against the backdrop of Brindisi’s port, by the painter F. Palizzi (1830).

Palazzo Balsamo

–

Loggia Balsamo

Piazza Duomo

La Cattedrale

Navata centrale

Facciata lat.

Cinquecentesco Fonte Battesimale

Navata lat. sinistra con mosaici

Predica di S. Leucio di Oronzo Tiso

Martirio di S. Pelino di Oronzo Tiso

Cappella del SS. Sacramento

L’Ultima Cena, 1715 di Diego O. Bianco

Cappella di S. Teodoro

Balaustra marmorea

Coro ligneo dei canonici

Pavimento musivo area absidale

Il Campanile

Visione angolare della Piazza

Palazzo del Seminario

Episcopio

Visione angolare della Piazza

Palazzo De Marco

 

4 – Ribezzo Archaeological Museum
Located on the site of the old Civil Hospital, of which only two ogival arches supported by a column with an oriental design remain today. These arches are part of the portico of the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre, which, around the mid-14th century, offered hospitality to pilgrims departing for the Holy Land. The motif of the arches has been used in the construction of the new portico, which, like the entire building, is made with the golden local stone known as “carparo.”

The museum includes, in addition to the portico and the atrium, six spacious and well-lit rooms, which can be generally divided as follows:

Atrium and basement: Epigraphic and statuary section.
Ground floor, first, and second floors: The Civic, Archiepiscopal, Gorga, and Marzano collections. Noteworthy on the ground floor are the imposing capitals from S. Andrea dell’Isola (now the site of the Alfonsino Castle).
Top floor: Brindisi and its territory; this section recently acquired the bronzes recovered in 1992 from the waters of Punta del Serrone, dating from the Hellenistic period to the 3rd century AD.
Among the recovered materials, a statue depicting the Roman consul Lucius Aemilius Paullus, who triumphed in the Macedonian War in 167 BC, stands out.

Facciata principale del Museo

Portico De’ Cateniano

I grandi capitelli provenienti da S. Andrea dell’Isola (oggi sede del Castello Alfonsino)

Atrio del Museo

Collezione statuaria

Capitelli di epoca romana

Statue iconiche e ritratti

Collezione di monete e mosaici

Reperti in terracotta

In primo piano: “la nascita di Venere. La dea regge nella mano sinistra un fiore a cinque petali”

I Bronzi di Punta del Serrone

Torso di Lucio Emilio Paolo

Frammenti di personaggi diversi

Torre Penna a Punta del Serrone

 

5 – Granafei Nervegna Palace and the Archaeological Area of Via Casimiro

The Palace, owned by the municipality, is a well-preserved example of late 16th-century architecture, with a 20th-century addition on the left side. The building has three floors with a small internal courtyard. It features a beautiful full-arch portal, framed by a rectangular border that includes a coat of arms, flanked by two rectangular windows with richly decorated jambs and architraves, topped with a triangular pediment. Three balconies with pierced balustrades are aligned with the string course, alternating with architraved windows framed by classical decorations. The third floor has five simple windows flanked by pilasters with capitals and is topped with a slightly projecting linear cornice. Inside, the courtyard has a balcony supported by massive brackets. The Palazzo holds significant historical and architectural interest, except for the second floor, which was modified in modern times. The restoration work carried out between 2000 and 2008 led to the discovery of floors and structures from the Roman era, dating between the second half of the 1st century and the early 2nd century AD. The technical features, the extent of the discovery area, and the quality suggest the presence of a significant domus with several rooms. The site was also frequented in the late antique and medieval periods.

The complex known as Palazzo Granafei-Nervegna was built around 1565 by the Granafei family and sold in 1862 to the Nervegna brothers, from whom it takes its common name. After several ownership changes, the municipality acquired it in 1930, converting it into the courthouse, which remained in operation until 1976. The main hall on the ground floor, once the courtroom, has been transformed into the evocative “Sala della Colonna” and now houses some original components of the Roman column.

Opening onto Via Duomo are:

Piazza Sottile – De Falco, named after two finance officers who died in service while combating smuggling;
The medieval arch, the only remaining element of the ancient church of S. Pietro degli Schiavoni, of which no other historical evidence remains.
A few meters away is the Archaeological Area of Via Casimiro, with architectural, sculptural, and mosaic remains of a Roman public building (1st century AD) and the floors of residential buildings from the Republican era (1st and 2nd centuries BC).

Arco medievale e altri resti

Piazza Sottile – De Falco

Via Duomo

Palazzo Granafei-Nervegna

Sala della Colonna – atrio

Sala della Colonna – originale di capitello, pulvino e l’ultimo rocchio della Colonna

Area Archeologica di via Casimiro

6 – Via Tarantini and the Ancient “Roman Insula”

Continuing from Via Santa Barbara, you enter Via Tarantini, which leads to the nearby Piazza Duomo. However, before reaching the square, you should first visit the old district of San Pietro degli Schiavoni with its ancient “Roman Insula.”

On the right, you can enter one of the narrow streets that once formed the road network of the San Pietro degli Schiavoni district, a Dalmatian community that settled here in the mid-15th century. What remains of the district after recent demolitions is a typical example of spontaneous architecture.

The Roman Insula was located in the center of the ancient city. In 1964, bulldozers began excavation in the impoverished area of San Pietro degli Schiavoni, and by 1966, the walls, floors of houses, and a road were finally uncovered. This site might have included a “calidarium,” a room for hot baths, along with two other rooms heated by the hypocaust system (circulating heat beneath the floors). To the north, there was likely a domus with plastered and painted walls, with floors dating from the late 1st century BC to the early 1st century AD. To the west of the road, there was a residential structure with a floor of terracotta tiles laid in a herringbone pattern (opus spicatum) and remnants of a drainage system. To the south, there is the threshold of another residential structure.

In 1960, an audacious architectural experiment was conducted on these ancient ruins, creating what may be the first suspended theater known. The Roman remains, located about 2.5 meters below street level, were covered by a metal structure spanning the site, allowing views of the artifacts from both the surrounding streets and the foyer.

Continuing our journey, we encounter the Church of San Michele Arcangelo and the former Convent of the Pious Schools. The church was commissioned in 1664 by Bishop Estrada to house the Piarist Fathers in Brindisi, who were dedicated to the care and education of the poorest children. The church was built with a single nave and a transept. The high dome, covered in multicolored tiles, is visible from across the neighborhood. Inside, there are fine 17th-century paintings.

The church is now part of a project, along with the churches of Santa Teresa and San Paolo, to become the Diocesan Museum. Next to it is the complex of the former Convent of the Pious Schools, characterized by a portal with rich decoration and a heraldic rose window bearing the date 1664. It is currently used as an exhibition space for shows. On the first floor, the “Armando Scivales” art gallery is displayed with paintings and drawings by the illustrious Brindisi painter, accessible for free. It also houses the cultural services center “Accademia degli Erranti.”

Contemporary to the Balsamo Loggia, which it resembles in its ground floor ogival arches, is Palazzo Leanza on Via Tarantini, at the corner of Via De Dominicis. It is possible that this palace was once part of a single structure with the adjacent Balsamo Loggia (or Los Rejes), which historian N. Vacca also considers a probable site of the second Angevin mint.

Reticolo viario superstite in S. Pietro degli Schiavoni

La Cupola multicolore di S. Michele Arc. vista da Largo de’ Calò

Chiesa di S. Michele Arcangelo (ora Museo Diocesano)

Interno

Ex Convento delle Scuole Pie

Palazzo Leanza

 

Nuovo Teatro Verdi

L’Insula Romana

 

7 – Temple of San Giovanni al Sepolcro

It is widely believed that San Giovanni al Sepolcro is, in many ways, a construction full of questions and mysteries, and thus fascinating. Its history intertwines with the presence of military religious orders in Brindisi, such as the Teutonic Knights, Templars, and Hospitallers, which inspired its architectural symbolism. The temple is a local example of how architectural models from Jerusalem, such as the Rotunda of the Basilica of the Resurrection, were reinterpreted here.

In an era when pilgrims showed increasing interest in the Holy Land, even in distant and hard-to-reach places, the Temple of San Giovanni al Sepolcro stood as an evocative reproduction of sacred places, particularly the Holy Sepulchre. The remarkable similarity between the plan of San Giovanni al Sepolcro and the Anastasis of Jerusalem has been noted from various sources. The Anastasis, built by Emperor Constantine in the 4th century AD, features a double ring of columns in a circular layout.

The construction of the temple is presumed to date from the late 11th to the early 12th century, marking a period of revival under Norman rule. The building features intriguing architectural details, including three entrances. The first, facing west and decorated with a limestone portal, displays bas-reliefs of zoomorphic and geometric motifs influenced by Arab art. A second entrance, similar to the first, is on the north side and features a portico adorned with stylized lions and a pointed arch. The marble jambs of this portal are carved with various figures from the “Bestiarium.” A third, simpler portal, now bricked up, opens towards the rear garden.

The Brindisi temple, entirely constructed using reclaimed materials from existing Roman and late-antique buildings, has a circular plan with a central ring consisting of eight columns with capitals. Two of these columns are placed at the sides of the original entrance, while the remaining columns divide the space into a central rotunda and a passageway bounded by the outer wall.

The interior walls of the temple are decorated with fragments of paintings dating from the mid-13th century. These paintings reflect Eastern traditions and art associated with the Crusader movement. The paintings overlap in successive layers, depicting similar icons, and in some cases, these depictions can be compared with those found in the panels of the choir of Santa Maria del Casale.

In 1969, excavations were conducted inside and in the rear garden, revealing a Roman mosaic from a Domus of the Imperial age (2nd-3rd centuries AD). This Domus, with wall remains and a mosaic floor at a depth of 2.30 meters, suffered significant damage during the city’s destruction in 674 by Romuald, the Lombard duke of Benevento.

Portale con protito e leoni stilofori

 

Stipiti scolpiti con varie figure del “Bestiarium”

Interno – rotonda centrale

Frammenti di dipinti del XIII sec.

Mosaico romano di una Domus dell’età imperiale (II-III secolo d.C.)

Ingresso lato ovest con portale in pietra; mostra bassorilievi raffiguranti motivi zoomorfi e geometrici influenzati dall’arte araba

Il Tempietto visto dal giardino retrostante

8 – Square and Church of S. Teresa

The square is named after the eponymous 18th-century church, with its understated façade divided by Corinthian pilasters and featuring four niches framed by floral garlands, which open in the lower part and connect to the upper section through two volutes supporting tall pinnacles. The interior has a Latin cross plan and is organized with a single nave and a transept. The deep side chapels contain altars with polychrome marbles, stuccoes, and late-Baroque decorations including festoons, winged heads, and volutes.

Of particular importance in the first chapel on the left is a 17th-century painting depicting the martyrdom of St. Andrew. This refers to the confraternity of sailors and fishermen in Brindisi, which originally had its seat at the Church of Sant’Eufemia, also known as Sant’Andrea piccinno. Pertaining to the Abbey of Sant’Andrea dell’Isola, it was requested by the Discalced Carmelites to be incorporated into their cloister, as it had been abandoned for many years. The request was granted; in return, the Teresian Carmelites agreed to dedicate a chapel in their church to St. Andrew, making it the new focal point for the confraternity. In the adaptation of the painting, carried out by an unknown 18th-century painter who enlarged it, angels’ choir, the Castle (Alfonsino), and the depiction of the miraculous catch were added at the top. Since April of this year, the church, now one of the three locations of the Diocesan Museum “G. Tarantini” (along with the churches of S. Paolo and S. Michele Arcangelo), has reopened after undergoing significant and urgent restoration work.

Adjacent to the church is the former Convent of the Teresian Fathers (18th century), now housing the State Archive. It was used as a barracks in the early 19th century and later abandoned. Notable is the large and bright cloister surrounding the portico.

In the square stands the Monument to the Fallen by Brindisi sculptor Edgardo Simone. The work, dedicated to the approximately 500 Brindisi soldiers who died in World War I, was commissioned by the municipal administration to our fellow townsman, the already established sculptor Edgardo Simone, in 1926.

Among the sculptures:

At the top: A classical Greek Victory, original in its form, holds the figure of Rome in her left hand and a dagger with laurel and oak in her right.
At the bottom: A dying warrior with a laurel-wreathed head. A large Roman shield with the gorgon’s head lies beneath the glorious fallen soldier, forming the main element of the large basin of the front fountain.
On the sides: Two large groups representing: the right side shows the Italic mother, armed, pointing out the path of duty to her son; the left side shows the old mother, overcome with grief, caressing the laurel-covered helmet of her fallen son and holding the sacred orphan to her breast.

Museo Tarantini – Chiesa di S. Teresa

Navata centrale

Cappella di S. Teresa

U. Colonna, La gloria di S. Teresa d’Avila – Dipinto a olio. Particolare del soffitto

Antico Chiostro ora Archivio di Stato

Monumento ai Caduti dello scultore brindisino Edgardo Simone

 

9 – Church and Cloister of San Paolo Eremita

The church stands on the remains of the Roman arx, reused by the Byzantines and Normans, and abandoned after the construction of the Castello di Terra during the Swabian period. Completed in 1322, the façade was entirely rebuilt in the 17th century. Along the outer perimeter wall on the side next to the portal, you can see reused tomb slabs from a nearby Albanian cemetery. The interior, with a single nave, ends in an apse set within a Gothic arch.

The dedication to St. Paul of Thebes was linked to the spirit of Franciscan eremitism, a life wholly devoted to the praise of God and the service of all humanity through penance and prayer. This is clearly present in the Church of San Paolo Eremita in Brindisi: slender and austere according to the Franciscan ideal, with a single nave, a soaring apse, and wide walls originally covered with frescoes depicting various saints and scenes of Christian piety, intersected by long, narrow windows. Among the wall frescoes, including the most recently discovered one in 2018 of the Dormitio Virginis, are overlaid Baroque altars in polychrome or local stone dedicated to St. Joseph of Copertino, St. Anthony of Padua (1632), St. Mary (1603), the Holy Crucifix, the Immaculate (1741), and Saints Vito, Modesto, and Crescenza, the latter created by the Lecce sculptors Agostino de Matteis and Pietro Spongano.

Beneath the roof beams, the lilies, symbols of the Anjou who commissioned the church’s construction, and various noble coats of arms are visible.

Of particular importance is the Chapel of St. Francis of Assisi, commissioned by the Brindisi historian Giovanni M. Moricino (1558-1628). Here, in a single tomb, are the remains of him and his son who died at the age of fifteen. Special veneration is given to the Immaculate Virgin, who is credited with saving the city from the earthquake of 1743.

In 2017, new works for the complete restoration of the church began, and they were completed in October 2018, when the church reopened to the public.

Since 2022, the church has been part of a project that, along with the churches of S. Teresa and S. Michele Arc., has turned it into a diocesan museum.

Of immense value to the city is the 13th-century Silver Ark of St. Theodore. On the occasion of Frederick II’s wedding, the relics of St. Theodore of Amasea were transferred to Brindisi from the Anatolian city of Euchaita, wrapped in a shroud, and placed here in an ark with four vertical faces completely covered in silver plates. On one of these plates, the ancient city walls are engraved.

Adjacent to the church was the Franciscan Convent of San Paolo, which later became the Prefecture and, since October 2014, has been under the jurisdiction of the Province.

Chiesa di S. Paolo – Museo Diocesano

Ingresso

Ingresso laterale

Navata unica

Arca d’argento di san Teodoro d’Amasea, XIII secolo

Altare dedicato a S. Giuseppe da Copertino

Altare dedicato all’Immacolata Concezione

Altare dedicato a Sant’Antonio da Padova

Altare dedicato all’incoronazione della Madonna del Carmelo e dei Santi Caterina, Paolo Eremita e Diego, e la famiglia Perez Noguerol

Cappella di San Francesco e Monumento sepolcrale dei Moricino

Sala espositiva

Affresco della “Dormitio Virginis” ritrovato durante l’ultimo restauro del 2018

Convento francescano di San Paolo, diventato prima sede della Prefettura e dall’ottobre 2014 entrato nella disponibilità della Provincia

10 – Church of San Benedetto

The Church of San Benedetto in Brindisi has undergone numerous transformations and restorations throughout its history, primarily due to earthquakes that struck the city, such as the one in 1456. Structural modifications include raising the external walls and constructing a large choir, now used as the parish office, which led to the demolition of the main entrance.

The main façade of the church, built between the late 11th and early 12th centuries under the Norman feudal lords, features a marble portal decorated with intricate Byzantine motifs and an architrave carved with symbolic hunting scenes, dating from the same period. The bell tower, in Lombard style and square in shape, is a unique element in Puglia.

The interiors of the church, originally dedicated to Santa Maria Veterana, are divided into three naves by columns with exquisite capitals. The interior decoration includes frescoes and sacred art, such as the statue of the Madonna della Neve by Stefano Putignano and papier-mâché statues from the 18th and 19th centuries.

The 11th-century cloister, adjacent to the north side of the church, features marble columns and capitals decorated with zoomorphic and palmiform motifs. In the corridor adjacent to the nave, there are traces of 13th-century frescoes, including an unusual Annunciation.

Finally, the cloister’s ambulatory houses various notable objects, including remnants of Roman origin and a bifora window.

La facciata

Il portale

Architrave con tre scene di caccia, simbolo della lotta del Bene contro il Male

Interni

I capitelli figurati

Le tele

Assunzione della Vergine

Adorazione dei pastori

Statuaria

Madonna della Neve

San Benedetto da Norcia

Il Chiostro

Resti di affreschi

11 – Church of Santa Maria degli Angeli

In Largo Angeli stands the church commissioned by Saint Lorenzo on the site where his own home once was. Construction began in 1609 based on a design from Munich. Above the portal, as well as on either side of the altar, is the coat of arms of the Dukes of Lorraine, among the main sponsors of the project.

In the following years, the church was enlarged, and the entrance portal, which originally faced Via S. Lorenzo, was relocated to Piazza Angeli. The beautiful façade, which ends with volutes, is decorated with four Corinthian pilasters connected by rich festoons. The interior is in the Latin cross plan, with a single nave and deep lateral chapels. The ceiling is entirely covered with frescoes depicting, among false architectures, the Ecstasy of Saint Francis and the Stories of Saint Clare.

Among the notable items inside:

The ivory crucifix sent by Saint Lorenzo to his church in 1615, created by the Munich school of ivory turning. The background cloth, made of silk with gold embroidery, is late 18th century.
The gilded wooden pulpit from the 17th century, featuring figures of Saints Peter and Paul, which are also depicted on the wooden door.
The large altarpiece representing the Immaculate Conception among Angels, attributed to the workshop of Christoph Schwarz.
The lacquered wooden crucifix attributed to Fra’ Angelo da Pietrafitta (1699).
Several paintings by local artist Barnaba Zizzi (1780-90).
Saint Anthony by the Athenian painter Giovanni Papagiorgio (1641).
Four paintings in the transept by Diego O. Bianco (1720-30).
From Piazza Angeli, proceed along Via Carmine, the oldest street in the city, which is lined with 17th-century buildings such as the Cafaro and Ripa palaces.

Facciata principale

Navata unica con quattro cappelle per lato

Pulpito ligneo dorato del XVII sec.

Decorazioni del soffitto

Immacolata tra Angeli

Stemma nobiliare di Massimiliano di Baviera e dei duchi di Lorena

Crocefisso d’avorio – Monaco di Baviera, XVII sec.

Croce di di S. Lorenzo con alcune reliquie

Statua di S. Lorenzo

S. Anna e la sacra famiglia

Crocefisso ligneo (fine XVII secolo)

Il Beato Lorenzo da Brindisi

Madonna del latte (XVII sec.)

La deposizione (1672)

 

San Pasquale Baylon

Palazzo Cafaro

Palazzo Ripa

12 – Church of St. Lucia

Walking along Via Lata, at the intersection with Via Santa Lucia, in the upper part of the city, we find the Church of St. Lucia.

“It is a very interesting church for its ancient appearance, its beautiful upper church of the Holy Trinity, its precious small lower church, and because, at first glance, it immediately suggests an important monumental complex that bears witness to many ancient events in Brindisi, and shows remarkable artistic forms from Byzantine to present times.” (Architect C.L. Cesanelli).

Today, we can admire the single-apsed façade, whose simplicity of lines is interrupted only by the lunette above the portal. The church is accessed via a two-flight staircase that replaced a pre-existing semi-ovoid staircase, similar to that of the Church of St. Paul the Hermit. It is believed to have been built in the 13th century and is a typical example of Romanesque architecture that precedes and blends into Gothic language. It features a crypt and was originally supposed to be connected to a female monastery of Premonstratensian nuns, possibly the penitents mentioned in a 1248 document, who were called “white nuns” due to their habit.

The interior consists of three naves, which replaced the single nave likely after the severe damage caused by the earthquake of 1456. The naves are divided by four pillars with pointed arches; the roof is supported by trusses.

In the left nave, we notice “The Martyrdom of St. Lucia,” depicting the young girl turning her gaze to the executioner who, positioned to her left, is about to stab her. This work, signed in 1770 by painter Giovanni Scatigno, is likely of Brindisi origin.

In the right nave is the polyptych of the Madonna del Dolce Canto, originating from the now non-existent Madonna del Ponte, which was venerated as miraculous. The authorship of the Madonna del Dolce Canto has been attributed by Rosario Jurlaro to the Brindisi painter and nobleman Jacopo De Vanis, active between 1559 and 1570.

Of particular artistic interest is the lower church, which was once elevated above street level. It retains the original Romanesque structure with its rear wall and the remains of the matroneum on the left longitudinal wall. The current three-nave church structure, which merged with the Romanesque remains in the 12th-13th centuries, is notable for its 4 columns with refined capitals decorated with sharp-profiled vegetal motifs and vines starting from grotesque masks. These are “related to the culture of Apulian and Abruzzese craftsmen of the late 12th and early 13th centuries, showing significant contacts with the artistic production of the workshops of the Holy Land.”

Along Via Lata, one of the oldest streets in Brindisi dating back to Roman times (according to historian A. Della Monaca, “…modeled after Rome’s Via Triumphalis, called Via Lata, because the early Romans who came to inhabit Brindisi wanted to create an image of their homeland as closely resembling it as possible”), it is still possible to see some 18th-century houses. Here, we showcase the palaces: Orlandini, Lacolina, and Greco.

Facciata laterale sin.

Facciata principale

Interno a tre navate

Polittico “Madonna del Dolce Canto” – di Jacopo de Vanis

Serie di affreschi della chiesa superiore

Accesso alla Cripta

Matroneo sulla parete longitudinale sinistra

Decorazioni di santi sui pilastri

Santa martire (part.)

S. Nicola

Capitelli decorati con motivi vegetali dai profili taglienti e tralci che partono da maschere sputaracemi (secc. XII-XIII)

Palazzo Orlandini

Palazzo Lacolina

 

Palazzo Greco

13 – The Walls of Porta Lecce and the Church of Christ 

The city of Brindisi, once surrounded by a defensive wall reconstructed by Emperor Charles V in the 16th century, extended until the 19th century following the medieval perimeter. Today, much of the city walls are destroyed, but some remnants remain, including a few towers, Porta Mesagne, and Porta Lecce. The latter, the entrance to the city, is an elegant full-arch gateway surmounted by a marble tympanum featuring the coats of arms of Brindisi, Charles V, and Ferdinand de Alarcon.

Adjacent to Porta Lecce is the Church of Christ, or the Crucifix, distinguished by its Romanesque façade clad in golden carparo stone. Built in 1230, the church features a series of hanging arches along the roof’s sides that frame a beautiful rose window bordered by a false porch. The interior, restored several times, consists of a single wide nave with a pointed triumphal arch above the main altar, which houses a stunning wooden Crucifix from the 13th century, considered the work of a German artist inspired by French models. In the niche to the right of the main entrance is a wooden Madonna with Child, also datable to the 13th century. The interior of the church is adorned with sumptuous Baroque altars. The exterior apse, decorated at the upper part with a series of typically Romanesque arches, is visible from the courtyard adjacent to the church.

Arco di Porta Lecce

Edicola del XVI sec.

Chiesa di Cristo (o del Crocifisso)

Facciata principale

Rosone

Interno ad aula unica

Altare della Madonna del Rosario

Altare del Sacro Cuore di Gesù

Crocifisso ligneo (sec. XIII)

Madonna della Luce, statua lignea del XIII secolo (?) attribuita ad intagliatore italo-francese

Abside visibile da via Bettolo

 

14 – Porta Mesagne and the Limarie Basins

At the end of Via Carmine stands Porta Mesagne, constructed by Charles V in the 16th century to connect the imposing defensive walls he commissioned to protect the city.

Immediately to the left upon exiting the city are the so-called Limarie Basins, the only remains of the grand aqueduct that supplied water to Brindisi during Roman times. This structure, made of opus reticulatum, consists of small precisely cut blocks of stone and was designed to allow the sediment contained in the water from the nearby area of Pozzo di Vito to settle. The collection basin is still located there today.

Beyond Porta Mesagne, to the left, opens Via Bastioni S. Giorgio, named after a bastion that disappeared during the construction of the railway.

Porta Mesagne, the main city entrance, originally featured a large Gothic arch from the Swabian period (a smaller arch was added in the 1930s) and was flanked by a tower where, high on the corner, the coat of arms of Charles V (a double-headed eagle) is visible. The inscription reads:

CAROLUS QUINTUS ROMANORUM IMPERATOR SEMPER AUGUSTUS MDLI

The other three coats of arms belong to: the central one to Ferdinand de Alarcon, general of the cavalry; the two side ones, with a rampant lion, to the noble Neapolitan Caracciolo family.

To the right of Via Bastioni, in Piazza Crispi, is the Railway Station from 1865. Brindisi was considered a privileged port on the Adriatic for goods and passenger traffic heading to the East. From 1870, with the inauguration of the Maritime Station, Brindisi became the docking port for the “Valigia delle Indie” (the “India Bag”), which connected London to Bombay via railway and sea. In front of the station is the long straight road leading to the port. The first stretch, from the Railway Station to Piazza Vittoria, was called Corso Umberto, and the second stretch, leading to the sea, was Corso Garibaldi. The buildings along these roads, mostly constructed between the late 19th and early 20th centuries, during the era of the Valigia delle Indie, exhibit the floral influence of the Art Nouveau style, which was prevalent at the time.

Porta Mesagne e Vasche Limarie

Porta Mesagne vista dall’interno della città

Vasche Limarie di epoca romana

Porta Mesagne vista dall’esterno

 

15 – From the Railway Station to Piazza Cairoli

In the second half of the 19th century, the city urgently needed renewal, not only to better accommodate the travelers of the Valigia delle Indie but also to increase the number of houses due to the growing population. Since the Railway Station was inaugurated on February 20, 1865, it was decided to connect it to the port with a wide and straight road. Coming from the Railway Station towards Piazza Vittoria, one travels along Corso Umberto, and about halfway down the road, one arrives at Piazza Cairoli, where the monumental Fountain of the Anchors can be found.

Stazione Ferroviaria

Piazza Cairoli – Fontana delle Ancore

16 – From Piazza Vittoria to the Maritime Station

At the intersection of Corso Umberto and Corso Roma, we find the 19th-century Palazzo Pinto-Barnaba. In the center of Piazza del Popolo stands a bronze statue of Caesar Augustus, a copy of the one discovered in 1863 at Prima Porta and gifted to the city in 1937 to mark Augustus’s bimillennial, in recognition of Brindisi’s enduring loyalty to Rome.

Behind Piazza del Popolo is Piazza Anime, which houses the church of S. Sebastiano, commonly known as the church of the Anime. The church, which has been restored multiple times, features a portal with the stone coat of arms of Brindisi, carved with two columns topped with deer heads. After the demolition of the church of S. Antonio Abbate, located near the Montecristo district, the saint’s veneration was transferred to the church of the Anime. Indeed, in the square in front of the church, on the feast day of S. Antonio Abate (January 17), blessings were given to draft animals: horses, donkeys, and mules adorned with multicolored ribbons (zagaredde) and both fake and natural flowers paraded before the priest who blessed them.

In Piazza Vittoria stands the Fontana De’ Torres, named after the Spanish governor (Pietro Aloisio De Torres) who commissioned its construction in 1618 to meet the city’s need for water, as it had to be fetched from near Porta Mesagne. The costs were borne by the wealthiest citizens, whom the Governor required to pay according to their means, in order not to deplete the already strained municipal finances. The fountain has an elegant cup-shaped form with zoomorphic bronze heads from which water flows. On the outer face are carved the coat of arms of Philip III and an inscription commemorating the event.

Walking down Corso Garibaldi, which was built on the site of the Mena canal, a sea arm that extended to the present-day Piazza Vittoria, you will find halfway along Piazzetta Rubini, with an inscription honoring the great mathematician Raffaele Rubini (1817-1890).

At the end of Corso Garibaldi, you can see the exterior of the Maritime Station, a stunning example of Italian “rationalism” designed by engineer G. Rapisardi.

Piazza del Popolo

Piazza Anime

Chiesa di S. Sebastiano (o delle Anime)

Stemma di Brindisi con le due colonne

Interno

Palazzo Pinto-Barnaba

Corso Umberto

Piazza Vittoria

Fontana De Torres (1618)

Piazzetta Rubini (su vico Sacramento)

Stazione Marittima

 

17 – Church of Santa Maria del Casale – (Casale Area)

The Church of Santa Maria del Casale, built in the early 14th century 2 km from the city center, is a monument of great artistic value, declared a national monument in 1875. The structure is renowned for its understated elegance and the subtle colors of its masonry, which change with the shifting light.

The exact date of its founding is uncertain, but in 1310, it hosted the court established by Pope Clement V to judge the Knights Templar, who were suppressed two years later by papal bulls following their condemnation. Its connection with the Angevin rulers of Taranto is evident from both documents and frescoes (notably the large panel with the Angevin Fleur-de-Lis).

The single portal is topped by a projecting porch. The interior features a single nave with a transept and a rectangular presbytery. The semi-columns have capitals adorned with anthropomorphic, zoomorphic, and phytomorphic creatures.

The valuable frescoes, rediscovered in the second half of the last century, appear to belong to two separate cycles of painting.

The first group, likely commissioned by Philip, Prince of Taranto, includes:

The Last Judgment (on the counter-façade), by Rinaldo da Taranto, who signed it.
The Tree of the Cross (to the left), also featuring the city’s heraldic coat of arms.
Christ the King (in the apse).
The Annunciation and scenes from the life of Saint Catherine of Alexandria (in the transept).
The second group consists of devotional frescoes. Of particular interest is the 16th-century cloister attached to the church.

Facciata principale e Chiostro

Facciata

Chiostro

Interno a navata unica

Il Giudizio Universale di Rinaldo da Taranto 

Albero della Croce (o della Vita)

Madonne benedicenti le armate 

Santa Caterina – Episodi della vita della Santa

Maternità, Sant’Erasmo di Capua e la Maddalena

Maternità

18 – National Monument to the Italian Sailor – (Casale Area)

In 1925, Mussolini approved the construction of the National Monument to the Italian Sailor in Brindisi, serving as the honorary committee president. Brindisi was chosen for this honor due to its merits during World War I, when it served as the base for the Lower Adriatic naval operations and was awarded the War Cross. The city had hosted Italian, British, French, Japanese, and American fleets, contributing to the victory at sea.

The monument’s design, conceived by architect Luigi Brunati and sculptor Amerigo Bartoli, won the competition in 1932, selected from 92 submitted works. Construction began on October 28, 1932, and was completed within a year, with a final cost of 2,300,000 lire. The project was funded in part by the Italian Naval League and the Municipality of Brindisi. The monument, standing 54 meters high, was built in carparo stone with white Trani stone steps and inaugurated on November 4, 1933, in the presence of King Victor Emmanuel III.

Flanking the staircase are two anchors that belonged to the Austro-Hungarian battleships Tegetthoff and Viribus Unitis, the latter of which was sunk by Italians in the harbor of Pola on November 1, 1918; beside them are two German cannons from World War I.

In the crypt, there is a statue of the Madonna of the Sea, cast from enemy bronze; in the side chapels, the names of the sailors who died at sea are commemorated.

Monumento Nazionale al Marinaio d’Italia 

Vista del Seno di Levante

Di sera

La città di Brindisi vista dalla sommità del Monumento al Marinaio

La Cripta

L’Ara votiva sul piazzale

19 – Alfonsino Castle – (Casale Area)

The decision to adequately fortify Brindisi was explicitly driven by the Turkish threat. Indeed, while the Turks were still entrenched in Otranto, in February 1481, Ferrante d’Aragona ordered the start of construction for a tower to guard the port of Brindisi. The small island on which it stands had been the site of an important Benedictine abbey called S. Andrea dell’Isola, of which the impressive capitals are preserved in the atrium of the Ribezzo Museum. In 1485, Alfonso, Duke of Calabria, began transforming it into a true castle, isolating it by cutting the rock it rested on and opening a canal. By 1492, the castle was completed with the large hall on the first floor.

In 1558, the construction of the Fort began and lasted for 46 years. The canal became a dock separating the new and old structures, and adjustments were made to the circular bastion of S. Filippo. The Fort was separated from the hornwork by a new canal. Accommodations were arranged along the three arms of the parade ground.

Access is via the dock, where the portal displays the coats of arms of Philip III and the viceroy, Count of Lemos.

Il Castello Alfonsino (o di mare) visto dal Porticciolo

La Darsena

La Darsena di sera

 

 

I camminamenti di ronda

L’interno

Le stanze e i saloni

20 – Fishermen’s Village – (Casale Area)

There are only two ways to get in the Casale area from Brindisi: by motorboat or via Via Prov. San Vito. If you choose the latter route, you will see on the left the historic Tancredi Fountain, dating from 1192. Commissioned by the Norman Tancredi on the pre-existing Roman fountain, it was created for the wedding of his son Ruggero with Urania of Constantinople. The inscription by King Tancredi is no longer legible, but the engraving commissioned by Ferdinando Loffredo, Governor of the Province of Otranto, in 1540 for the restoration is still visible.

Within the Casale district is the picturesque Fishermen’s Village, designed by engineer Ugo D’Alonzo in 1938, to accommodate the people from the fishermen’s district of Sciabiche on the opposite side of the western bay, as outlined in the 1934 urban plan and completed in 1959.

The demolition of the Sciabiche district in the early 20th century was initiated by newspaper reports describing the houses as “dilapidated and disconnected” and “without essential services,” as recalled by the elderly. Fishermen, boatmen, and simple people with their equipment enlivened this characteristic marina area known as Riva dei Pescatori; these social figures were suddenly “forced” to relocate to an area that had always been considered a place where the wealthier classes chose to move for vacations or to escape the dangerous miasmas of the inner port.

It was for these reasons that the municipal technical office, given the chosen area’s sloping configuration towards the sea, completely visible from the city and located in the Casale district considered a garden city, deemed it appropriate to draft a plan that would give the new buildings the character of small, detached structures scattered along the slopes. The aim was to avoid the view of large buildings from the city, as their modest nature as popular housing could disrupt the surrounding landscape.

Fontana Tancredi

Villaggio Pescatori

English traslation

Brief Historical Overview

Situated on a promontory that extends toward the sea, the city owes its significance to its port, which has been considered the safest in the Adriatic since ancient times. Originally a Messapian city, it became a Roman colony and then a municipality in 247 B.C. As such, it participated in significant events in Roman history, including the Second Punic War and the civil struggles between Caesar and Pompey. In 40 B.C., Octavian and Antony signed the Foedus Brundusinum here. During this period, Brindisi thrived culturally, partly due to the presence of Cicero, who, during his exile, stayed with the Brindisian Lenius Flaccus.

The city boasted numerous public and private buildings, of which few traces remain today. The most significant of these are the two Columns, considered the terminal markers of the Via Appia. Unfortunately, after an earthquake, only one column remained standing, while the other was transferred to Lecce in the 17th century to erect a column for Saint Oronzo, who, according to popular belief, had saved the Salento region from the plague. The sculptures on the surviving capital, depicting marine deities, reflect the importance of Brindisi’s maritime life. The Via Appia and Via Traiana facilitated communication with Rome, increasing the city’s prosperity.

After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, Brindisi suffered from Saracen raids and the destruction of the city by the Lombards under Romuald, Duke of Benevento, in 674.

In 886, it was the protospatario Lupo who attempted the city’s first reconstruction, as noted by the inscription at the base of the surviving column in the port.

However, in the 10th century, with the rise of Benedictine centers, the city began to recover, leading to a full revival under the Normans and the Swabians. During this time, the Cathedral, Frederick II’s Castle, the Cloister, and the Church of San Benedetto with its beautiful sculpted portal were built, as well as the Church of Cristo with its Romanesque façade, the interesting Church of S. Lucia, the Church of S. Giovanni al Sepolcro— a unique example of Romanesque architecture with a central plan and protiro in southern Italy, the Gothic Church of San Paolo, and the Church of S. Maria del Casale, declared a national monument. These vestiges represent the best witnesses of the world of yesteryear.

Under Angevin and Aragonese rule, Brindisi received an organized urban plan that transformed its appearance. However, Venetian and Spanish rule, along with earthquakes and epidemics, led to the city’s economic decline between the 16th and 18th centuries. The reopening of the canal between the inner and outer ports, which had been obstructed first by Caesar during the civil war to prevent Pompey’s escape and a second time in the 15th century by Prince Orsini del Balzo to block Venetian access, eventually improved the situation. In the 18th century, under the reign of Ferdinand IV, reopening work was carried out and documented by the engineer Andrea Pigonati.

The inauguration of the railway station in 1865 and new maritime communication routes boosted trade, improving the city’s conditions and stimulating a construction boom, even though all activities still took place within the Angevin walls. Around 1950, Brindisi began to expand into the suburbs and became home to numerous industrial complexes, significantly transforming its landscape.

1 – Western Waterfront and Swabian Castle

The western inlet of the inner harbor is dominated by the large structure of the Castello di Terra, known to have been fully completed in 1233. The building was used as a penal colony from 1814 to 1908. After being decommissioned by the Ministry of Justice in 1908, the castle was acquired by the Italian Navy. During World War I, Brindisi served as a crucial naval base for Italy. During World War II, after September 8, 1943, King Vittorio Emanuele disembarked in Brindisi, which then became the capital of Italy. The castle housed the main command functions during this time.

Opposite the castle is the Italian Naval League, which offers mooring services to boat owners, and the Fishermen’s Village. Separated by a gate from the castle is the ancient Sciabiche district, which once housed most of Brindisi’s population, composed almost exclusively of fishermen, and is now reduced to a few remaining houses.

Continuing eastward, you will come across the stairways leading to Piazza S. Teresa, where you’ll find the so-called Fountain of the Empire, built in 1939 by the Provincial Administration.

To the left, on Via Camassa and Corte Capozziello, are “isodomic blocks” (large stones placed using a technique already employed by the Greeks during the Hellenistic era), which are likely remnants of the defensive system of Messapian-Roman origin.

Further ahead is the Montenegro Palace, built in the 17th century. It features an elegant façade with a portal framed by columns that support the ledge on which the loggia rests. Inside, on the wall of the access staircase, there is an inscription dedicated to Emperor Trajan, found in the palace garden, in recognition of his restoration of the road from Benevento to Brindisi, known as the Appia-Traiana. In front of the palace is the ferry dock connecting the city to the Casale district (about 2 km away) and to the Monument to the Sailor.

2 – Eastern Waterfront and Roman Columns

After Via S. Chiara, which runs alongside Palazzo Montenegro and takes its name from the now-disappeared church and convent of the Poor Clares, a series of ancient structures and monuments come into view:

Palazzo INA: Inside this building are the ancient remnants of the Church of S. Giovanni dei Greci.

Casa del Turista: This is a significant site with traces from various historical periods, from Roman times to the modern era. Excavations that began in 1999 revealed walls and remains dating back to the 14th century, connected to the Church of San Giovanni dei Greci. Further investigations uncovered medieval and Roman artifacts, including tombs, masonry, ceramic fragments, and bronze coins, associated with an imperial bath complex discovered in 1985. The current three-story structure shows various modifications over time, with walled arches and an entrance arch decorated with a cross pattée, possibly linked to the Templars.

Hotel Internazionale: Formerly the Albergo delle Indie Orientali, this hotel was built when Brindisi served as a stopover for the Indian Mail route.

Virgilian Staircase and Roman Columns: Piazza and Via Colonne are named after the columns that marked the end of the Via Appia. Their purpose and date are still debated, but they are believed to date back to the mid-1st century BC, based on the type of capital. In the 16th century, an earthquake toppled one of the columns, leaving only a segment on the large marble base. The remaining pieces, along with the capital, were taken to Lecce to build the Column of St. Oronzo, as a sign of gratitude to the saint for saving the Salento region from a severe plague. The surviving column stands 19 meters high, with a capital adorned with acanthus leaves at the bottom and figures of deities at the top. To protect it from the elements, the original capital has been moved to Palazzo Nervegna (Sala della Colonna) and replaced with a replica. An inscription on the base commemorates Lupo, the Byzantine governor who lifted Brindisi out of poverty after the Lombard conquest by Duke Romualdo I.
The sculptural complex, situated right at the entrance to the harbor, provides a stunning view across the water, allowing one to glimpse the Monument to the Sailor on the opposite shore and even the Alfonsino Castle on the Island of St. Andrea in the distance. Adjacent to the small square are Palazzo Perez (18th century) and Palazzo Scolmafora, which was destroyed by a fire in the 17th century and rebuilt by the owner with the motto “Combusta revivescit” (What has been burned is reborn to new life) engraved on the window lintels, still visible today.

The Neo-Gothic Palazzo Dionisi: Located in the square of the same name, this building leads directly up to the magnificent portal of Palazzo De Leo, the ancestral home of the family that included Archbishop Annibale, a distinguished scholar who gave his name to the Public Archiepiscopal Library.

Piazzetta Vittorio Emanuele II (known locally as “Giardinetti”): This tree-lined square features the Dolphin Fountain (A. Belliazzi, 1876), the Monument to Virgil (F. Bodini, 1988), and the recent (2024) addition of a bronze bust of Mahatma Gandhi. The statue, a replica of the one gifted by India to the city of Hiroshima, commemorates Gandhi’s historic visit to Brindisi on December 14, 1931. After attending the second conference on the Indian question in London, Gandhi altered his return route to India, making a stop in the port city. His farewell wave with a white handkerchief as he departed from Brindisi remains an iconic image in the city’s contemporary history.

To the left: The Maritime Station.

To the right: The Customs and Harbor Master’s offices, with an inscription commemorating the rescue of the Serbian army, when 115,000 refugees were transported to Brindisi in 1916.

3 – Piazza Duomo

In the large square, you can admire:

Palazzo Balsamo: At the end of Via Duomo, the 14th-century Balsamo Loggia comes into view. Supported by eight arches carved with strange depictions of monsters and human figures, it is thought to have been the ancient site of the Palazzo della Zecca, established by Charles of Anjou in Brindisi. The lower part features two ogival arches that are currently sealed. The current owner bears the Balsamo surname.

Palazzo del Seminario: On the right side of the square is the Palazzo del Seminario, designed by architect Mauro Manieri in the 18th century. The facade features a loggia with eight statues representing the liberal arts.

De Leo Library: Located within the Palazzo del Seminario, this is the first public library established in the Salento region, rich in parchments, incunabula, and manuscripts.

The Episcopal Palace: The residence and headquarters of the bishop.

Palazzo De Marco: Situated between Via Montenegro and Via S. Chiara, this building is named after the family that constructed it at the end of the 17th century. In 1887, it was purchased by the Community of the Sisters of Saint Vincent, who dedicated themselves in Brindisi to the promotion of culture and activities benefiting young girls, teaching them skills such as embroidery and sewing.

The Cathedral: The original construction dates back to the early 12th century. It was first restored in the 15th century but was almost entirely destroyed by the earthquake of 1743. The cathedral was rebuilt in its current form. Adjacent to the cathedral is the bell tower, commissioned by Archbishop G.B. Rivellini during the same period. Of the ancient Norman cathedral, only the external apse and remnants of the original mosaic floor remain, visible in the left nave and behind the main altar. The mosaic work was executed by the same artist who worked on the Otranto Cathedral. The 16th-century wooden choir, with its beautifully carved representations of saints and mythical creatures, is particularly noteworthy. On the side altars, there are two paintings by the Salento painter O. Tiso, a pupil of Solimena. In the Chapel of the Sacrament, there is an altar dedicated to St. Theodore with a painting of St. Theodore on horseback, set against the backdrop of Brindisi’s port, by the painter F. Palizzi (1830).