Torre Santa Susanna among churches, frescoes and olive oil

Torre Santa Susanna combines sacred architecture, an unusually layered history and a distinctive olive-growing and culinary culture. Those who explore the town at a leisurely pace will encounter churches from different periods, regional festivals, traditional dishes and insights into the production of olive oil.

Churches and architectural history

A prominent landmark is the Colonna di Santa Susanna. It was erected in 1837 on the site where the old Angevin tower stood in the Middle Ages.

The Chiesa Matrice has a Romanesque-style façade with a sculpted lunette. It depicts the Madonna and Child, San Nicola and Santa Susanna. The church also has three naves, a massive colonnade and round arches. The Santuario di Santa Maria di Galaso is arranged on two levels: from street level, a staircase with 13 steps leads to the sanctuary below.

The Palazzo Baronale, generally known as the Castello because of its battlements, was built in the 16th century and includes the Cappella della Madonna della Saletta. Together with the churches, it forms a tour through different forms of sacred and historical architecture, without requiring the individual buildings to be assigned to a single period.

Frescoes, crypts and culture

The history of the Chiesa di San Pietro o di Santa Maria di Crepacore reaches particularly far back. It was built between the 6th and 7th centuries on the ruins of a Roman villa dating from the time of Augustus. Fragments of frescoes have been preserved in the church; the oldest are dated to the transition from the 9th to the 10th century. The Basilian crypt of the Chiesa di San Giovanni Battista preserves two large frescoes of San Giovanni Battista and San Leonardo, as well as an icon of Christ blessing.

The Chiesa di San Pietro o di Santa Maria di Crepacore serves as a cultural venue for exhibitions, conferences and concerts. The Teatro Comunale also stages theatrical performances in cooperation with the Teatro Pubblico Pugliese.

Olive oil, 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. This agricultural profile also shapes the town's culinary themes. The Museo Molo is an interactive museum about olive oil and olives spread across several locations, which opened in 2019.

At Masseria Arciprete, visitors can observe the olive harvest, learn about the production process at the estate's own frantoio, visit the historic masseria and taste freshly produced oils. This makes it possible to understand the importance of olive growing not only through buildings and exhibitions, but also through concrete processing steps and products.

Traditional cuisine in Torre Santa Susanna includes homemade orecchiette, tria, pizzarieddi and laiana, as well as meat dishes such as brascioli, fegatini, marretti and polpette. The regional names represent a cuisine in which homemade pasta and hearty meat dishes have an equal place.

Festivals with a regional character

Torre Santa Susanna is associated with a reenactment of the Passion and death of Jesus Christ, performed every year during Holy Week and involving a broad participation of the local population. The Festa di San Giuseppe in March includes a public presentation of typical dishes on long tables known as mattre.

On 1 May, the Fiera di Santa Susanna features traditional and artistic crafts as well as local agricultural and food products. This creates several clear focal points for planning your trip: churches and frescoes for an interest in cultural history, olive oil and regional cuisine for culinary discoveries, and festivals and performances for the town's communal character.

You can find more places for planning your trip to Italy here: Caranna, Casalini, Carovigno, Lido Specchiolla, Erchie, Fasano, Savelletri and Lendinuso.

For the overarching travel overview: Brindisi.