Discover Sternatia: Crypts, Oil Mills and Dry-Stone Walls

Sternatia is a village in Grecìa Salentina where history, local tradition and the rural cultural landscape are closely intertwined. Those considering a holiday apartment in Sternatia will discover a place with Byzantine and Baroque traces, underground structures, traditional festivals and a distinctive landscape of dry-stone walls.

Circular Route through History and the Townscape

Sternatia’s historic centre can be explored along a circular route following the former line of the walls: from Porta Filìa via Via G. Matteotti, Via E. Perrone, Piazza Umberto I, Via Brigida Ancora and Piazza Dante Alighieri, returning to Porta Filìa via Via Roma.

Beneath this circular route, a network of underground tunnels and galleries connects the former underground olive mills. Porta Filia and the adjacent section of wall are the last surviving remains of Sternatia’s former fortifications. The name “Filìa” means “love”, “peace” and “friendship” in Greek; the town’s most important life rites take place through the gate, which is connected with Sternatia’s local tradition and social life.

Remains of Sternatia’s Byzantine castle have been preserved in buildings between Via Giudeca and Piazza Castello. The historic houses retain a typically Greek courtyard structure, around which the daily lives of several families once unfolded.

Crypts, Mills and Baroque Spaces

The Cripta San Sebastiano was carved out between the 9th and 11th centuries AD. It is located near Via Neviera and is accessed via an open corridor and an entrance with several steps. Two naves separated by a central pillar preserve recognisable sacred frescoes of Saint Sebastian, the Annunciation and Saint Francis. In Apulia, it is the first crypt dedicated to Saint Sebastian; 20 January is associated with it as a recurring date.

The Cripta San Pietro is a small grotto carved out of tuff and is considered a possible church for the Greek rite. It consists of two rooms, the second of which contains an altar decorated with a fresco of Saint Peter. Palazzo Granafei is a Baroque Salentine baronial residence built in the 1740s of the 18th century over an earlier Byzantine castle. A hanging garden still exists there, known in the 19th century as Giardino dei Fiori; the upper floors are decorated with Rococo frescoes depicting mythological scenes and celestial deities. Inside the Chiesa Matrice SS. Assunta are frescoes by Garganese, six side altars and four Rococo altars in the transept, created by the architect Emanuele Orfano.

Oil, Festive Culture and Rural Landscapes

Olive oil production was one of the most widespread activities in Sternatia. This is evidenced by 13 oil mills, including underground and semi-underground structures that were distributed throughout the area inside and outside the walls. Near Porta Filia is the “Granafei” underground oil mill; it was one of nineteen mills connected by underground tunnels, was used for pressing olives and producing oil, is accessible via a staircase covered by a barrel vault and is equipped for guided tours. The remaining mills were destroyed over the years.

For many decades, on the first Thursday after Easter, the people of Sternatia have processed to the Chiesa Madonna degli Angeli. Religious celebrations and sporting competitions take place there, as well as the traditional game of “cuccagna”. During this celebration, people eat the traditional “cuddhura”, a ring-shaped biscuit baked in the oven with a hard-boiled egg in the centre.

In the rural area, numerous dry-stone walls shape the landscape. They were built from stones removed from the fields. There are also traditional dry-stone structures known as “furni”, which farmers used as temporary shelters or shelters used only during the day.

A Holiday Apartment in Sternatia to Suit Your Trip

When choosing your accommodation, you can first consider which aspect of Sternatia should be the focus. The historic town centre combines the circular route, fortification remains, crypts, churches and underground olive mills into a cultural and historical focus. In the rural area, dry-stone walls, “furni” and the farming-based oil tradition take centre stage. This makes it possible to choose a holiday apartment in Sternatia to suit your preferred balance of local history, festive culture and landscape, without mixing up the different experiences.

Other places for planning your trip include Arnesano, Rosa Marina, Torre Lapillo, Racale, Castrignano Del Capo, Torre Vado, Torre Chianca and Minervino Di Lecce.

For the higher-level travel overview: Lecce.