L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, JULY 8, 2021 www.italoamericano.org 22 L'Italo-Americano ever written. Initially built in the 15 th century by the Aragona family, the castle we see today is the result of several modifications car- r i e d o u t t h r o u g h o u t t h e centuries; the castle had a clear defensive value and was part of the original for- tifications of the city. Not far from the city, around 5 m i l e s s o u t h o f i t , w e encounter the Grotta dei Cervi or Deer Cave, near the town of Porto Badisco. The cave was only discov- ered in the 1970s and it is characterized by the pres- ence of well preserved pre- h i s t o r i c w a l l p a i n t i n g s . I n i t i a l l y , i t w a s n a m e d Grotta di Enea or Aeneas C a v e , i n h o n o r o f t h e Trojan hero who, in Virgil's epic tale, had first set foot on Italian soil just there, at Porto Badisco. However, t h e n a m e w a s c h a n g e d after the many wall paint- i n g s d e p i c t i n g d e e r a n d s t a g s w e r e f o u n d , h i g h - lighting the importance of t h e s e a n i m a l s t o t h e ancient inhabitants of the area. The crystal-clear sea of Otranto O t r a n t o i s r e g u l a r l y awarded a Bandiera Blu (blue flag) by Legambiente, which means both its sea and beaches are clean and well kept. Sea lovers will f i n d a l l t h e y n e e d i n O t r a n t o , w h o s e b e a c h e s vary from white and sandy t o r o c k y : t h e r e a r e , o f c o u r s e , s t a b i l i m e n t i f o r those among us who rather enjoy a lazy, all comforts included vacation, but also plenty of natural beauty to explore, including under water, for those who have more of an adventurous side. Otranto is conviviality A s y o u w o u l d e x p e c t being in the South of Italy, Otranto is also known for i t s p e o p l e ' s f r i e n d l i n e s s a n d i t s d e l i c i o u s f o o d . O t r a n t o i s n o t a l a r g e place, so it's easy for visi- t o r s t o f e e l q u i c k l y a t home; locals are used to tourists and welcome them every summer with joy. Of course, food is an impor- tant aspect of local attrac- tiveness and Otranto pre- sents local Salento dishes at their best. Among the most famous ciciri e tria, perhaps, is taiedda, a typi- cal seafood dish with rice, potatoes and clams, as well as other main dishes like homemade pastas served w i t h t o m a t o a n d l a m b sauce, or the traditional spelt soup, enriched with s e a f o o d a n d r e d f i s h . Dessert lovers will enjoy local almond paste, as well as many delicacies made t h a t i s , f r i e d p a s t a w i t h chickpeas, large fried tagli- atelle served in a chickpeas b r o t h , w h i c h i s u s u a l l y e n j o y e d i n t h e w i n t e r months. More summery, with ricotta; perhaps, the most popular of all local sweet treats is pasticciotto, a cookie-like parcel made w i t h s h o r t c r u s t p a s t r y filled with custard. The famous castle of Otranto, which inspired the first novel of the gothic genre (Photo: Flaviu Boerescu/Dreamstime) From its castle to its beautiful cathedral, Otranto carries history within. From here, the sixth crusade, organized by Frederick II, left for the Holy Land Continued from page 20 Traditional alley in Otranto (Photo: Freesurf69/Dreamstime) The gothic rose window of Otranto cathedral (Fabio G. Pizzuto/Dreamstime) ALL AROUND ITALY TRAVEL TIPS DESTINATIONS ACTIVITIES

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