In Otranto, the Tree of Life spread across the cathedral floor

In Otranto, almost everyone stops at the sea. The whitewashed old town, the emerald-green coves, the queues for gelato along the town walls: in summer, the easternmost point of Italy becomes a funnel for visitors. And yet, just a few metres from the din, behind a plain facade that promises nothing extraordinary, lies one of the most surprising spaces in the Mediterranean. Most of those who pass through here never set foot inside.

The mosaic

The Cathedral of Santa Maria Annunziata holds a floor mosaic that covers the entire nave, created in the 12th century. It is a carpet of stone that tells stories: a great Tree of Life runs the whole length of it, and among its branches crowd biblical figures, the months of the year, real and fantastical animals, dragons, zodiac signs and characters from chivalric tradition. You quite literally walk over a medieval vision of the cosmos, where sacred and profane coexist without embarrassment.

The silence within

The beauty is in the silence. While outside it is hard to find a free metre of space, in here you often find yourself almost alone, with time to kneel and follow the details, to let your eyes wander among tesserae worn down by eight centuries of footsteps. Light filters through the high windows and settles on the floor as if on an open page. It is worth entering slowly, without the rush to take photographs, and watching how each scene links to the next.

When to visit

To truly enjoy it, choose the quietest hours: early in the morning right after opening, or the late afternoon in the off-season. Respect the place, which remains an active church: keep your voice low, dress appropriately, no flash. Otranto deserves its sea, but its secret heart is here, beneath your feet.

Related guides: Apulia off the beaten track: inland villages far from the crowds · Alternatives to Polignano a Mare: Apulia's villages and coves without the crush · Where to go by the sea in September without crowds: the South once the tourists leave.

Getting there

The cathedral with its mosaic sits in the old town of Otranto, at the southern tip of Salento. By car you arrive along the road that connects Lecce to Maglie and then on to the coast; the reference airport is Salento airport in Brindisi, with Bari as a more distant alternative. By train, Otranto is served by the Ferrovie del Sud Est with connections from Lecce, where Trenitalia trains arrive.

Practical guides

• Getting to Otranto: trains, buses, car and ferries
• Two Days in Otranto: Where Italy Faces the East
• Where to Stay in Otranto: A Guide to the Best Neighborhoods and Accommodation in Italy's Easternmost Town
• Where to Eat in Otranto: Adriatic Flavours Within Ancient Walls