Salve trip planner

Salve is a 5,000 inhabitants village and comune in the province of Lecce, in the Apulia region of south-east Italy.HistoryIndications of Bronze Age settlements in the territory of Salve have been revealed by several archaeological findings. The origin of the inner city can be traced back to the Roman centurion Salvius, who in 267 BC was granted the land as a reward.In the 9th century AD to defend against Saracen raids, walls were built. Other fortifications that still exist, were built in the 15th century as a defense against Ottoman raids.In 1563 the stone tower of Torre Pali was completed, erected by the Spaniards along with many others on the Salento coast. The tower, which rises from the sea, is about 13km west of Santa Maria di Leuca. The towers were used to sight the Turkish ships and to raise the alarm quickly throughout the Salento by the lighting of beacons. A village in the comune is named after the tower.In 1930 great reclamation of Ionian coasts of Salento began, which ended after World War II. Through these works, it was possible to develop the beaches of the coast and beach tourism has developed, which today is one of the sources of the local economy.The village has traces of an old Castle (now transformed into houses) which resisted several times to Turk sieges, and a Church dedicated to the patron Saint Nicholas. In the church, decorated by Cesare Penna the Young of Lecce (a protagonist of the Baroque of Lecce), has an ancient organ built in 1628 by G. B. Olgiati of Como and T. Mauro of Muro Leccese and 2 huge paintings by the local sculptor Vito Russo.