Salice Salentino: Wine, History and Hotels

Salice Salentino offers a variety of highlights for a stay: wine production, religious architecture and historic sites. The municipality has around 1,300 hectares of vineyards. The monastery, chapels and other historic sites offer different perspectives on the area's cultural history. When planning your trip, you can decide whether to focus on tastings, architectural history or religious traditions.

Wine Production and Wine Tours

The SIMERA wine tour includes visits to the wine cellar, wine museum and castle; the experiences on offer are subject to booking. The KREOS wine tour, which is also subject to booking, includes three glasses of wine and a platter of cold cuts and cheese. The main difference is the format: SIMERA combines several sightseeing stops, while KREOS pairs a wine tasting with food. The Vin-Tour program for 2026 also includes a “Food & Wine Tour” in Salice Salentino, with three wine tastings and a light lunch. Later editions of the program may change, so when planning a future trip, check the dates and details announced at that time.

Monastery, Chapels and Religious Tradition

The Franciscan monastery of Madonna della Visitazione was built in several phases between 1587 and 1597. Its 16th-century cloister has a quadriporticus, a courtyard surrounded by porticoes on all four sides. The monastery church houses an 18th-century organ, considered one of the few examples of local organ-building. The construction period, cloister and organ reveal different facets of the complex.

The Cappella della Madonna del Latte, commonly known as La Cona, was built at the end of the 16th century. After its construction, it became a stopping place for travelers who paused there out of devotion to pray to the Madonna. The church of Santa Filomena, formerly San Giovanni Battista, is the oldest chapel in Salice Salentino. One religious celebration in the municipality is dedicated to Madonna della Visitazione.

For guidance, you can pick up the municipality's tourist map at the multifunctional tourist and cultural information center by the church of Santa Filomena. The center is located on Via Vittorio Emanuele III. This makes it possible to combine picking up the map with a look at the history of the town's oldest chapel.

Castello Monaci and the Historic Landscape

Castello Monaci lies about 8.4 kilometers from Salice Salentino, in the northern part of the municipal area. Its architectural features include towers and battlements. The Castello Monaci wine museum is housed in the old wine cellar, which dates to the 1930s. The artifacts on display from the agricultural estate document rural life, wine production and domestic customs in a typical Salento farmhouse. Thus, alongside the castle's architecture, agriculture and everyday life are also central to the museum.

The remains of Casa del Re can be found in the countryside around Salice Salentino. They are thought to be the former residence of the court of Raimondello Orsini del Balzo and his wife, Maria d’Enghien. In contrast to Castello Monaci, described for its towers, battlements and wine museum, the remains of Casa del Re point to an earlier courtly use.

Cultural Events

SaliComix is a recurring festival dedicated to comics, fantasy literature, illustration and pop culture. The fourth edition took place on July 11 and 12, 2026. The program included exhibitions, workshops, educational activities for children, themed conferences, author meet-and-greets, gaming tournaments and inclusive activities. If you would like to include a later edition in your travel plans, check the announced dates and program details.

Discover more destinations: Casamassella, Cocumola, Marina Di Mancaversa, Arnesano, Presicce, Zollino, Porto Cesareo, Seclì

For the wider travel overview: Lecce.