Maglie: Churches, Cuisine and History

If you are looking for a holiday apartment in Maglie, choose a place with a clearly distinctive character: Maglie lies on the southern edge of the Salentine Plain, between the terraced elevations of the Murge to the north and the Serre Salentine to the south. At the same time, the town forms a road, railway and cultural hub between the Alto Salento and Capo di Leuca.

Holiday apartment in Maglie with culture on your doorstep

The Duomo, or Chiesa della Colleggiata, is Maglie’s main church. It has three broad naves vaulted in the Lecce style, as well as a late-Baroque wooden choir with 80 seats. These precise architectural details invite you to look closely at the church interior and appreciate the town’s distinctive architectural language. A holiday apartment in Maglie is therefore a good choice for a trip in which cultural impressions are just as important as the regional atmosphere.

The surviving portal was commissioned in 1749 by Don Giuseppe Pasquale Capece Castriota and executed by the Salentine architect Emanuele Manieri. The Palazzo Baronale Capece probably originated in the Angevin period, initially as a modest defensive structure. A single architectural complex thus makes it possible to trace how the history of the town developed over long periods, without losing sight of its early origins.

The churches, too, preserve remarkable details. On the north side of the present building, Chiesa Santa Maria della Scala retains a medieval rose window, a window and a door from an earlier church of the Greek rite. The Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie has a Baroque portal attributed to Giulio Cesare Penna the Elder and bearing an inscription dated 1648. This means that even short walks through Maglie can draw your attention to different religious, artistic and historical traces.

The Santuario dell’Addolorata was built between 1722 and 1725 and became a Marian shrine in 1988. The Processione dei Misteri del Venerdì Santo begins at three churches and passes through the historic centre. Both facts link architectural history with religious tradition, while the procession has its own connection to the townscape.

Regional cuisine and living traditions

One of the culinary specialities is Pasta Bella Maglie, a typical local dish made with penne and a sauce of sausage, cherry tomatoes, green and red peppers, aubergines and chilli pepper. These ingredients are produced locally. The dish gives your trip a tangible flavour: if you choose a holiday apartment in Maglie, you can also plan your discoveries around regional cuisine and local produce, without limiting your stay to sightseeing.

In August, the Mercatino del Gusto is one of Maglie’s best-known events. Local culture also includes the Associazione Punto Maglie, which promotes embroidery courses. Through these courses, an embroidery tradition dating back to Donna Carolina Starace De Viti De Marco is preserved in Maglie.

Sightseeing based on your personal interests

The Casa Museo di Aldo Moro is open to individual visitors and groups. This gives you another place in Maglie to include in your cultural itinerary according to your personal interests, alongside churches, palaces and culinary attractions. The different focal points leave room for a varied stay in which you can combine history, handicrafts, religious architecture and regional cuisine.

More places for planning your trip: Arnesano, Corsano, San Cesario Di Lecce, Casarano, Alessano, Gagliano Del Capo, Marina Di Mancaversa, Sant'isidoro.

To the main travel overview: Lecce.