25 minutes from Trullo della Pace
Oria has a medieval old town with winding streets and whitewashed houses.
The town was founded according to Herodotus in 1274 BC From Cretan settlers who, scattering on the shoreline due to a storm, chose the highest hill to better control neighboring territories.
To visit:
CATHEDRAL AND CRYPT OF MUMMIES
The Cathedral, dedicated to “Maria Santissima Assunta in Cielo”, is located in the heart of Oria’s historic center.
It was built in 1750 above a pre-existing medieval Romanesque church.
It is a Baroque style church with a local baroque façade.
To the left of the facade lies the clock tower and, just behind it, the bell tower.
At the center a beautiful polychrome dome.
The interior is a Latin cross and three naves.
They were painted from the 17th to the 20th centuries, there are several statues including those of the saints doctors of the Venetian school.
Under the Basilica lies the Crypt of the Mummies, a 16th-century oratory, which hosts the mummified corps of the Confeders of the Archconfraternity of Death.
The hypogeum environment features 22 manhole niches that accommodated the bodies of some confreres undergoing a mummification process.
We recommend the guided tour to Cathedral and Crypt of the Mummies
For info: +39 338 2655360 e-mail: nuovahyria@libero.it
Oria – More info about Cripta delle Mummie
From the square of the Cathedral you can also enjoy a very beautiful panorama.
PALOMBA TOWER AND MUSEUM DIOCESANO
At the back of the Cathedral there is “Torre Palomba“, a cylindrical tower belonging to what was once the wall of the Messapic era.
Inside the bishop’s palace, on the left side of the cathedral, the Diocesan Museum “Kalefati” is set up.
Inside there are numerous canvases and sacred furnishings from the churches.
Phone of Diocesan Museum: +39 0831 84 50 93
Hours (to be checked):
Monday: 09:00 – 12:00 16:00 – 19:00
Tuesday: Closed
Wednesday: 09:00 – 12:00 16:00 – 19:00
Thursday: Closed
Friday: 09:00 – 12:00 16:00 – 19:00
Saturday: Closed
Sunday: Closed
CASTLE
Oria Castle is one of the main attractions in the area: the huge construction, on the highest hill of Oria, has made it a national monument.
The castle features many Svevo-Normanne towers, and the beautiful Normandy doorman make it an unmissable monument.
The square of arms, which once contained the warriors who defended the walls of the palace, still today the triangular courtyard gives rise to a great evocative force.
In the secret lies the crypt.
The tower of the “jump” is so called because of a girl who threw her down from it, because she did not want to spend the night with an old nobleman.
Unfortunately, the castle is privately owned and it is rarely open and this prevents the tourist’s valorisation that it deserves.
For info call +39 0831 840009
We also suggest you to walk in the beautiful Old Town, which is accessed by well-preserved gates.
For example, by entering from Porta Manfredi, you immediately jump into the most frequented area with several typical restaurants and venues.
PROBABLY YOU DON’T KNOW: THE LEGENDS ABOUT SAN BARSANOFIO ABATE
The Oritans have in great reverence the relics of the saint, brought to Oria by a Palestinian monk and many miracles were attributed to Him.
Saint Barsanofio, was born in Egypt in the 5th century AD.
And is also revered by faithful in the Orthodox Church.
In Gaza, Palestine, he lived in the monastery of San Seridone far away from any human contact. He died in 540.
It is said, for example, that during the 2nd World War, St. Barsanofio would lay down his blue mantle on the city, causing so much rain to prevent Anglo-Americans from bombing it.
Even more disturbing is the story of allied pilots, who reported, in the astonishment of their superiors, that they saw a man in the sky covered by a long, thick gray beard that covered a huge cloak over Oria’s city To prevent the bombing.
There are many witnesses from elders of the city about the truthfulness of what happened and it seems also by the American pilots themselves.
