What to see & do in Brindisi

The churches, museums, and attractions of Brindisi, Italy

Brindisi now has less to see even than before since they spirited away for restoration the only remaining ancient Roman column of the original pair that marked the end of the Appian Way from Rome (on Via Colonna; the other's now in Lecce).

On the nearby Piazza del Duomo you'll find the 12th-century Cathedral (rebuilt in the 18th century, but with some original mosaics uncovered near the altar), the 15th-century Portico dei Cavalieri Templari, and the Museo Archeologico Provinciale (tel. 0831-221-401). Inside are preserved Roman-era statues and trinkets like a pair of AD 1st-century dice, and some fine 4th-century BC bronzes fished out of the sea. Admission is free; it's open Monday to Friday 9:30am to 1:30pm (Tuesday also 3:30 to 6:30pm).

The 11th-century Knights Templar church of San Giovanni al Sepolcro off Via S. Benedetto retains some worn but intriguing reliefs around the door and 13th-century frescoes inside (though it's usually locked). » more

Brindisi's one saving sightseeing grace is a bus ride north of town, the AD 1322 Norman-Gothic church of ★Santa Maria del Casale (take bus 3d from the station and ask the driver to let you off), with a facade patterned in zigzags and chessboards of bluish-white and tan stones. Knights on their way to the Crusades would stop here to pray before boarding their boats, and the frescoes inside were meant to bolster their courage, reminding them what they were fighting for (on the right of the nave is a Madonna Surrounded by Knights) and what happened to eternal souls should faith fail (the gruesome Last Judgment filling the end wall). » more