Santa Maria di Leuca Cape

At the southern tip of Salento, the headlands of Santa Maria di Leuca look across waters linking the Adriatic and Ionian seas. Above the coast stands the sanctuary of Santa Maria de Finibus Terrae, a destination for pilgrims at the edge of the peninsula. Repeated raids from the sea damaged the church over the centuries. Between 1720 and 1755 Bishop Giovanni Giannelli had it rebuilt with the appearance of a fortress, in the hope of protecting it from further attacks.