Castro, Apulia, Italy

Castro, Apulia, Italy

Castro, Apulia Italy

Castro is a town and comune in the Italian province of Lecce in the Apulia region of south-eastern Italy. The name Castro comes from Castrum Minervae (Latin for “Athena’s castle”), an ancient town of the Sallentini located about 15 kilometres (9 miles) south of Hydruntum. Its ancient Temple of Minerva was said to have been founded by Idomeneus, who formed the Sallentini tribe from a mixture of Cretans, Illyrians and Italian Locrians (a Central Greek tribe). Castro is also said to be the place where Aeneas first landed in Italy, with the port he called Portus Veneris (“Port of Venus”). By Strabo’s time, the temple had already lost some of its former importance.
Recommended airport
Casale (BDS)
Nearby destinations
  • Otranto, Puglia a 17.37 km
  • Ugento a 24.46 km
  • Gallipoli a 37.76 km