Why pilgrims come
Discover what makes Otranto Cathedral and Chapel of the Holy Martyrs a place of pilgrimage
Otranto’s Cathedral of Santa Maria Annunziata preserves the relics of St. Antonio Primaldo and the companions canonized with him—the citizens killed after the Ottoman capture of Otranto in 1480. Their remains are venerated in the Chapel of the Holy Martyrs. The cathedral also preserves the celebrated twelfth-century floor mosaic.
Pray before the relics of the Otranto martyrs, then read the cathedral’s vast Tree of Life mosaic as a vision of Scripture, judgment, and hope carried through a city marked by violence.
The sacred connection
People and objects remembered here
These relationships are part of the destination record, with feast days and catalog qualifications shown where available.
their relics are venerated in the cathedral’s Chapel of the Holy Martyrs
Feast: August 14Bodily remains of canonized martyrs · Ecclesiastically documented and publicly venerated
The chapel is inside the cathedral; liturgies and cathedral rules take precedence.What to notice
Look closely at the place and its story
Chapel of the Holy Martyrs
Venerate the relics of St. Antonio Primaldo and his companions in the cathedral that carries Otranto’s living memory of 1480.
Pantaleone’s Tree of Life
Walk slowly over one of Europe’s great medieval mosaic floors, completed in the twelfth century.
Cathedral and city
Notice how Otranto’s sacred, civic, and Mediterranean histories meet within one active church.
Feasts, anniversaries & celebrations
How to read this page
Sources, tradition, and what is verified
The destination record was last checked on 9/10/2026.
This page records the site’s tradition as “Catholic.” That wording describes the nature of the claim and keeps devotional tradition distinct from independently verified history.
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