Description of the attraction
On the territory of the Salentine Peninsula - the "Italian heel" - countless dovecote towers have survived, built along the entire coast in ancient times. A few kilometers south of the city of Otranto, in the Valle delle Memorie, on a high hill stands the round Torre Pinta tower that dominates the surrounding area. This is one of the most characteristic examples of dovecotes erected by Christians in the form of a Latin cross. Three short "wings" of the cross are oriented strictly to the west, south and east, and the dark gallery, corresponding to the long "wing", faces north. In all the niches and on the low ceilings of the wide corridor, deep footprints left by pigeon claws are visible. And if you pay more attention to Torre Pinta, you can see some features related to the ancient Messapian culture - for example, the oven that was used for cremation, hundreds of cavities in which urns with the ashes of the dead were stored, or a stone step along the wall, where, according to legend, the dead were left. Today it is believed that it was the Messapans who built Torre Pinta.
This tower was discovered in August 1976 by the Milanese architect Antonio Susini, who was firmly convinced that the numerous small cages found inside were intended for keeping pigeons. Moreover, the strategic location suggests that carrier pigeons, which "served" the Bourbon troops, who were garrisoned in Otranto, could have stopped here. The oldest part of Torre Pinta, the round tower itself, dates back to the Middle Ages.
