The Ionian and the Adriatic Sea meet in Santa Maria di Leuca, the southernmost part of the Salento area, enclosed by Punta Ristola and Punta Meliso, in the area of Castrignano del Capo. The beautiful village of Leuca, whose name comes from the Greek for white leucos, white, dominates from above unveiling a horizon dotted with white calcareous rocks. The 47m tall lighthouse on Punta Meliso is one of the most important in Italy and dominates the bay on which the village was built.
Along the seafront are elegant buildings and Art Deco villas, the blue decorations of Villa Episcopo, the Moorish-style decorations of Villa Daniele and those extravagant fantasies of Villa La Meridiana.
At the base of the lighthouse is the Basilica of Santa Maria de Finibus Terrae, a religious centre perched above a sheer drop into the sea. A few steps away, the Apulia Aqueduct ends in an evocative and impressive waterfall flanked by two flights of stairs. Inaugurated during the Fascist Era, it is now turned on only for special occasions.
The jagged coast of Leuca belongs to the Regional Nature Park Coast Otranto – Santa Maria di Leuca – Bosco di Tricase and is embellished with natural caves, reachable by sea.
Apulia Film Commission
Cineporti di Puglia/Bari — c/o Fiera del Levante - Lungomare Starita 1 — 70132 Bari
Phone: +39 080 9752900
Fax: +39 080 9147464
Email: email@apuliafilmcommission.it
