CULTOUR'S RECOMMENDATIONS:

La Locanda dei Camini is a good enough reason to visit Botrugno without even considering the grace and charm of the town itself.

The hot antipasti are excellent: parmigiana di pesce, calzoni con nero di sepia, pignata di polpo, frittura di filetti di pesce...

BOTRUGNO

A charming borgo which epitomises the south of Salento, Botrugno is a splendid town in which to whittle away a few hours enjoying all that is good about the mezzogiorno: great food, the slow pace of life and a patchwork of historical buildings and characteristic rural scenes.

Botrogno is a pretty out of the way place for anyone who is not local to the southern tip of Salento but is well worth a visit for the great food at La Locanda dei Camini and because it's just a generally pleasant place for an afternoon stroll. It's also really close by to Poggiardo, Vaste and, of course, Santa Cesarea Terme and the fantastic coast road from Santa Cesarea to Otranto.

Palazzo Marchesale

War Memorial by Giuseppe Corrado

Votive Niche in
Via Emanuele

The main edifice in the hub of the historical centre is the Palazzo Marchesale which cuts a fine figure considered along with Piazza Independenza. As is typical of so many towns in the area, dates and details regarding the history of the site differ from source to source. The consensus seems to be that the Palazzo Marchesale was built by the Maramonte family around the 15th century. Although there are some references to a pre-existing Norman tower, that information cannot be confirmed. What is certain is that in 1654 the feud (including the structure in question) was sold to another noble family, the Castriota Granai clan of Melpignano. The balcony was added by the family together with other significant modifications to the building's façade. Many of the magnificent frescoes in the building's interior were also added duirng this period.

The building is now the property of the Municipality of Botrugno and restoration works are in progress.