Why pilgrims come
A sacred place worth the journey.
The Church-Sanctuary of Santa Maria dei Martiri, also known as San Francesco di Paola, stands on Colle della Minerva, the hill traditionally identified with the beheading of St. Antonio Primaldo and his companions after the Ottoman capture of Otranto in 1480. The present church was built in the seventeenth century as a memorial at the site and is now associated with a community of Poor Clare nuns.
The pilgrim’s guide
What makes this visit meaningful
Move from Otranto’s cathedral relic chapel to the hill where the martyrs’ final witness is remembered, making the short journey itself a sober pilgrimage through the city’s sacred geography.
The martyrdom hill
Pray where Otranto’s diocesan tradition locates the final witness of Antonio Primaldo and his companions.
A memorial church
Distinguish the seventeenth-century sanctuary from the 1480 event it was built to remember.
A two-place pilgrimage
Continue to the cathedral, where the martyrs’ relics are venerated, to complete the local sacred geography.
Feasts, anniversaries & celebrations
Continue nearby