Santa Maria di Leuca

{{Unreferenced section|date=February 2022}}

File:Faro di Santa Maria di Leuca 01.jpg

File:Santa Maria de finibus terrae 03.jpg

Santa Maria di Leuca is famous for its iconic lighthouse. With its height of 47 metres, and position at 102 metres above sea level, is the second most important lighthouse in Italy, after Genova. Next to the lighthouse is the large Sanctuary, or Basilica, De Finibus Terrae ("End of the Land", 1720-1755), built to commemorate the passage of St. Peter here during his travel to Italy. It is devoted to Saint Mary (from whom the town gets the name Santa Maria di Leuca). It lies on the former site of a Greek temple dedicated to Athena. The edifice has a fortified structure, and during its existence it sustained several assaults by Algerian pirates. In the same site, a Corinthian column was erected in 1939 to celebrate the construction of the Apulian Aqueduct (Acquedotto Pugliese). The basilica is connected to the port through a 284-step staircase.

Punta Meliso promontory (the ancient Promontorium lapygium or Sallentinum) is the southeastern extremity of Italy — traditionally considered the lowest point of the geographical "heel" of Italian peninsula, as well as the meeting point of the waters from the Adriatic Sea and the Ionian Sea. But Leuca is a bay so there's another promontory called Punta Ristola challenging this geographical particularity. According to Google Earth, Punta Ristola, at 39° 47′ 22.96″ N, is approximately 440 meters south of Punta Meliso, at 39° 47′ 37.73″ N.

After World War II the town hosted Jewish Holocaust survivors for two years (1946-1948), giving them warm hospitality.

Since October 2006 its territory is part of the Regional Park "Costa Otranto - Santa Maria di Leuca e Bosco di Tricase". Santa Maria di Leuca's littoral is marked by numerous grottoes with Latin and Greek inscriptions. Also famous are the 19th century patrician villas (c. 43 in number).

Not far off Punta Ristola, at c. 85 m of depth, lies the shipwreck of the Italian submarine Pietro Micca, sunk during World War II with its crew of 58 men.

Prehistoric remains have been found in some the about 66 caves of the coast of Leuca, like Grotta Porcinara and Grotta del Diavolo.

According to Luigi TasselliLuigi Tasselli, Antichità di Leuca (Lecce 1693, 1859). (17th century) the town takes its name from "Leucasia", a white beautiful mermaid (from Ancient Greek λευκός {{gloss|white, bright}}) who conquered sailors and farmers by her charming voice.

Santa Maria di Leuca was founded in fact in the early 1st century AD by some monks, after Saint Peter's passage. A cross was built in his honor and after some restructurings, still be there. According to a later legend, Virgin Mary once saved some boats from a storm, and her name was added to that of Leuca.

Santa Maria di Leuca has a Mediterranean climate (Köppen: Csa).

{{Weather box

| width = auto

| collapsed = yes

| metric first = yes

| single line = yes

| location = Santa Maria di Leuca (1991–2020)

| Jan record high C = 20.2

| Feb record high C = 19.0

| Mar record high C = 21.6

| Apr record high C = 26.8

| May record high C = 30.6

| Jun record high C = 35.8

| Jul record high C = 38.6

| Aug record high C = 38.6

| Sep record high C = 34.0

| Oct record high C = 29.2

| Nov record high C = 23.0

| Dec record high C = 19.0

| year record high C = 38.6

| Jan high C = 12.4

| Feb high C = 12.6

| Mar high C = 14.3

| Apr high C = 17.0

| May high C = 21.4

| Jun high C = 26.1

| Jul high C = 29.6

| Aug high C = 29.6

| Sep high C = 25.5

| Oct high C = 21.4

| Nov high C = 17.4

| Dec high C = 13.6

| year high C = 20.1

| Jan mean C = 10.0

| Feb mean C = 10.1

| Mar mean C = 11.8

| Apr mean C = 14.4

| May mean C = 18.5

| Jun mean C = 22.9

| Jul mean C = 25.8

| Aug mean C = 26.3

| Sep mean C = 22.6

| Oct mean C = 18.8

| Nov mean C = 15.0

| Dec mean C = 11.8

| year mean C = 17.3

| Jan low C = 7.8

| Feb low C = 7.6

| Mar low C = 9.3

| Apr low C = 11.7

| May low C = 15.6

| Jun low C = 19.8

| Jul low C = 22.5

| Aug low C = 23.0

| Sep low C = 19.7

| Oct low C = 16.2

| Nov low C = 12.7

| Dec low C = 9.1

| year low C = 14.6

| Jan record low C = -1.6

| Feb record low C = -2.0

| Mar record low C = 0.8

| Apr record low C = 0.0

| May record low C = 8.8

| Jun record low C = 12.6

| Jul record low C = 15.6

| Aug record low C = 15.6

| Sep record low C = 12.8

| Oct record low C = 8.2

| Nov record low C = 2.8

| Dec record low C = -2.8

| year record low C = -2.8

| precipitation colour = green

| Jan precipitation mm = 65.5

| Feb precipitation mm = 48.4

| Mar precipitation mm = 55.5

| Apr precipitation mm = 42.8

| May precipitation mm = 31.5

| Jun precipitation mm = 13.2

| Jul precipitation mm = 9.6

| Aug precipitation mm = 17.2

| Sep precipitation mm = 50.8

| Oct precipitation mm = 86.8

| Nov precipitation mm = 110.1

| Dec precipitation mm = 80.6

| year precipitation mm = 611.8

| unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm

| Jan precipitation days = 7.2

| Feb precipitation days = 5.8

| Mar precipitation days = 6.7

| Apr precipitation days = 5.4

| May precipitation days = 4.1

| Jun precipitation days = 1.9

| Jul precipitation days = 1.3

| Aug precipitation days = 1.6

| Sep precipitation days = 4.6

| Oct precipitation days = 5.9

| Nov precipitation days = 8.5

| Dec precipitation days = 8.0

| year precipitation days = 61.1

| Jan humidity = 76.4

| Feb humidity = 74.9

| Mar humidity = 74.8

| Apr humidity = 73.9

| May humidity = 71.3

| Jun humidity = 67.8

| Jul humidity = 65.3

| Aug humidity = 67.1

| Sep humidity = 71.4

| Oct humidity = 75.8

| Nov humidity = 77.1

| Dec humidity = 76.1

| year humidity = 72.7

| Jan dew point C =5.5

| Feb dew point C =4.4

| Mar dew point C =6.6

| Apr dew point C =8.5

| May dew point C =12.7

| Jun dew point C =15.6

| Jul dew point C =17.2

| Aug dew point C =18.3

| Sep dew point C =16.6

| Oct dew point C =13.5

| Nov dew point C =9.9

| Dec dew point C =6.5

| Jan sun = 166.8

| Feb sun = 169.4

| Mar sun = 222.0

| Apr sun = 238.2

| May sun = 291.1

| Jun sun = 327.6

| Jul sun = 360.2

| Aug sun = 333.3

| Sep sun = 256.5

| Oct sun = 218.2

| Nov sun = 167.1

| Dec sun = 152.5

| year sun = 2902.9

| source 1 = NOAA,{{cite web

|url = https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/2.2/data/0-data/Region-6-WMO-Normals-9120/Italy/CSV/SMariaDiLeuca_16360.csv

|title = World Meteorological Organization Climate Normals for 1991-2020 — Santa Maria di Leuca

|publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

|access-date = February 3, 2024}} (Dew Point 1981-2010{{cite web|url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/pub/data/normals/WMO/1981-2010/RA-VI/Italy/WMO_Normals_CliNo81-10.xls |format=XLS |title = World Meteorological Organization Climate Normals for 1981-2010 — Santa Maria di Leuca-16360|publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration|access-date = March 2, 2024}})

}}

• Salento
• Castrignano del Capo
• Capo Santa Maria di Leuca Lighthouse

File:Santa Maria di Leuca.jpg|The Sanctuary and the lighthouse

File:Statue of Santa Maria di Leuca 02.jpg|Statue of Santa Maria di Leuca

File:Punta Ristola.JPG|Punta Ristola

File:Marina-di-leuca-von-punta-ristola.JPG|Santa Maria di Leuca from Punta Ristola

• Luigi Tasselli, Antichità di Leuca (Lecce 1693, 1859).
• Antonio Romano, Guida alle grotte e caverne di Leuca (Congedo ed. Galatina 1996)
• Antonio Caloro, Guida di Leuca (l'estremo Salento tra storia arte e natura), a c. di Mario Cazzato (Congedo editore, Galatina 1996)
• Michele Rosafio, Leuca Guerra e Navi (Ed. dell'Iride, Tricase 2000)
• Carlo Stasi, Leucasia (racconti, leggende e poesie di terra, di mare e d'amore...) (AGL, Presicce 1993, 1996, 2001). {{ISBN|88-87809-10-0}}
• Carlo Stasi, Leucàsia e Le Due Sorelle (Storie e leggende del Salento), Mancarella Ed., Cavallino, 2008, 2012). {{ISBN|978-88-903669-0-1}},
• Carlo Stasi, Leucasia the Legend (Capone, Lecce 2022) with English translation parallel test. ISBN 9788883492730

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{{Wikivoyage}}

• [http://www.paesaggioitaliano.eu/gallery/santa_maria_di_leuca/index.php Photo Gallery] {{in lang|it}}

{{coord|39|48|3.6|N|18|21|25|E|region:IT_type:city|display=title}}

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Category:Frazioni of the Province of Lecce

Category:Localities of Salento

Category:Cities and towns in Apulia