Castrignano del Capo is the most southern municipality of Puglia and belongs to the Union of Municipalities of Terra di Leuca. Rich of enchanting landscape charm and precious historical-artistic testimonies, the territory of Castrignano extends between the Serra di Veréto and Santa Maria di Leuca. The communities of Salignano and Giuliano di Lecce belong to Castrignano.
They are historical villages in which the typical Greek hospitality still echoes and where you can breathe the genuine atmosphere of the authenticity and the welcoming of Salento. The sea of Castrignano is dominated by the ageless beauty of the coast of Leuca, a place characterized by the scenic forms of the Meliso headland and the physiognomy of the mighty pontifical basilica of Santa Maria de Finibus Terrae, among the most representative places of Marian devotion all over Europe.
The countryside of Castrignano preserves the legacy of peasant civilization, manifested in the ancient dry stone walls that mark the vast olive groves and the numerous farmlands, still cured and cultivated with care. The historic centre of Castrignano del Capo shows off its historic buildings, represented in Piazza Sant'Angelo by the church of San Michele, rebuilt in the mid-eighteenth century on the previous parish church. The interior is dominated by large architectural spaces, marked by side altars, works full of stucco and vivid decorations.
The wooden statue of the patron Saint Michael the Archangel, made in 1707 by Nicola Fumo, a significant sculptor of the Neapolitan baroque, is worthy of note. Castrignano is attested in documentary sources as early as 1265. The ancient settlement extends in the district of "Borgo Terra", whose plant still retains a checkerboard geometric pattern. The old district is accessed from San Nicola square, an open space on which there is "Porta Terra", the main gate of the old village. The entrance is part of Fersini Palace, built on the walls of the ancient feudal castle.
Modified into a noble residence in the late eighteenth century, the fortress has protected the town of Castrignano for centuries and its presence is already attested from the medieval period. Among the streets of the small Borgo Terra there is a casket of traditional architecture of Salento, so it is easy to find out finely embroidered XVI century buildings, elegant expressions of the ancient society of Castrignano. The historic centre of Castrignano still reveals its archaic beauties to visitors today. Urban compositions that show the many historical developments of the town, while the monuments carved in stone still today narrate the popular religious devotion and the community identity which is still alive.
