Otranto used to be the most important city in the Salento (in fact, Terra di Otranto, land of Otranto, is another common name for the region). The name is derived from greek Hydrus or Hydruntum, its inhabitants are called Idruntini, and Idro is the name of the small river passing it. (The Greek letters for H Y D R are clearly legible on the shard.)

It is situated close to Italy’s easternmost point: The Strait of Otranto, only 70 kms wide, is the narrowest point between the Italian and the Albanian coastline. This proximity turned the city into one of the most important harbour towns in the Adriatic sea. The Turkish occupation in 1480, during which the city was destroyed and a large part of the male population massacred, practically ended this glory.

Today it is a quiet tourist resort and fishing village. Particularly notable is the Cathedral with its stunning 12th century mosaic, depicting the Tree of Life. The writer Horace Walpole chose the city as the location for his novel The Castle of Otranto, the first gothic novel.