Torre Santa Susanna: Churches, Olive Oil and Festivals

Torre Santa Susanna: Culture and Culinary Delights for Your Trip

Torre Santa Susanna is an interesting choice if you are looking for a holiday apartment and want to combine culture, regional cuisine and lively traditions. The Colonna di Santa Susanna was built in 1837 on the site where the old Angevin tower stood in the Middle Ages. At the Santuario di Santa Maria di Galaso, the sacred space is arranged on two levels: from street level, a staircase with 13 steps leads to the sanctuary below. These two sites alone give your travel planning a variety of cultural points of interest.

Churches, Museum and Palazzo

The Chiesa Matrice has three naves, a massive colonnade and round arches. Its Romanesque-style façade features a sculpted lunette depicting the Madonna and Child, San Nicola and Santa Susanna. The Museo Molo is an interactive museum about olive oil and olives spread across several locations; it opened in 2019. The Palazzo Baronale, known as a castello because of its battlements, was built in the 16th century and includes the Cappella della Madonna della Saletta.

Historic Sites with Cultural Uses

The Chiesa di San Pietro o di Santa Maria di Crepacore was built between the 6th and 7th centuries on the ruins of a Roman villa dating from the time of Augustus. It preserves fragments of frescoes, the oldest of which date to the transition from the 9th to the 10th century, and serves as a cultural venue for exhibitions, conferences and concerts. The Basilian crypt of the Chiesa di San Giovanni Battista contains two large frescoes of San Giovanni Battista and San Leonardo, as well as an icon of Christ blessing.

Olives, Wine and Traditional Cuisine

Olive and wine cultivation accounts for more than two-thirds of the cultivated area of Torre Santa Susanna, with olive growing predominating. Traditional cuisine includes homemade orecchiette, tria, pizzarieddi and laiana, as well as meat dishes such as brascioli, fegatini, marretti and polpette. At Masseria Arciprete, you can watch the olive harvest, learn about the production process at the estate's own frantoio, visit the historic masseria and taste freshly produced oils.

Festivals and Theater

Every year during Holy Week, Torre Santa Susanna is associated with a performance of the Passion and Death of Jesus Christ, in which a large part of the local population takes part. The Festa di San Giuseppe in March includes a public presentation of typical dishes on long tables known as mattre. The Fiera di Santa Susanna on May 1 features traditional and artistic crafts, as well as local agricultural and food products. The Teatro Comunale stages theatrical performances in collaboration with the Teatro Pubblico Pugliese.

When choosing your holiday apartment in Torre Santa Susanna, you can focus on the combination you prefer: churches and frescoes, olive oil and regional cuisine, or festivals and theater. This provides families and travel groups with different preferences with clear guidance among sightseeing, culinary discoveries and attending events together.

More Destinations for Your Planning

Specchia, Carovigno, Ceglie Messapica, Pantanagianni-Pezze Morelli, Fasano, San Pancrazio Salentino, Grotta Figazzano, Caranna

For the broader travel overview: Brindisi.