Why pilgrims come
Discover what makes Sanctuary of Santa Maria dei Martiri at Colle della Minerva a place of pilgrimage
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.
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 sacred connection
People and objects remembered here
These relationships are part of the destination record, with feast days and catalog qualifications shown where available.
What to notice
Look closely at the place and its story
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
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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