Mottola: Old Town, Rock Churches and Woodland Landscape

If you’re looking for a hotel in Mottola, it’s worth first taking a look at the destination itself: historic sacred spaces, rock churches and a municipal woodland each offer a different perspective. In the historic heart of Schiavonia stands the Romanesque Cattedrale dell’Assunta; other churches bring together medieval history and a variety of floor plans. The Bosco di Sant’Antuono adds a landscape perspective to these cultural themes. You can plan your trip around whether you’re particularly interested in architecture, religious traditions or a woodland landscape shaped by its terrain and elevation.

Old Town and Medieval Religious Architecture

The Cattedrale dell’Assunta was built in the early years of the 12th century in the heart of Schiavonia, Mottola’s old town. As a Romanesque cathedral, it has a basilica-style interior with three naves separated by columns. Its construction period, location in the historic center and the layout of its interior each give the cathedral a distinct connection to the history and architecture of the area.

The rock church of San Gregorio also has a basilica-style floor plan with three naves. It was carved out of the rock during the Norman period, between the 11th and 12th centuries. Three semicircular apses with concave ends complete the layout. The cathedral and San Gregorio therefore share a three-nave layout, but have different architectural details: the apses define the description of San Gregorio, while the columns separating the naves characterize the cathedral.

Another rock church, San Nicola di Lamaderchia, lies southeast of Mottola in the Gorgone district, near Masseria Lamaderchia. In the Middle Ages, it was a place of worship for local residents as well as for crusaders and pilgrims. The crusaders and pilgrims came from inland and traveled to Taranto and Brindisi to embark there for their onward journey to the Holy Land. The site thus also represents a religious history that reaches beyond its immediate surroundings.

Rock Churches and Religious Traditions

According to tradition, seven lamps have been kept burning continuously to this day at the Sanctuary of Madonna delle Sette Lampade. The feast of this Madonna is celebrated on September 14. The rock church has two naves, separated by two pillars and ending in east-facing apses; the entrance is on the south side. This type of floor plan is generally considered rather uncommon in religious buildings. Compared with the three-nave floor plans of the cathedral and San Gregorio, the number of naves here is already a notable difference.

At Santa Margherita, a distinctive church building is paired with an equally specific approach. The path to the crypt passes through wild vegetation in the ravine and over a narrow footbridge that runs above the precipice. The rock church of Santa Margherita is notable for its unusual floor plan and the quantity and quality of its wall paintings. It therefore stands apart from churches described by the number of their naves and apses.

The Bosco di Sant’Antuono as a Landscape Destination

The municipal woodland of Bosco di Sant’Antuono covers about 520 hectares and is crossed by provincial road No. 36 Mottola–Martina Franca. It extends across gently rolling, only slightly rugged hills at an elevation of 400 to 450 meters above sea level. The character of this landscape differs markedly from the narrow approach to the Santa Margherita crypt: there, vegetation, a narrow footbridge and the precipice define the route, while at the Bosco the focus is on the woodland’s expanse, gentle hills and elevation. In addition to its religious architecture, Mottola thus offers a distinct landscape destination to include in your travel plans.

Discover more destinations: Roccaforzata, Sava, Maruggio, San Marzano di San Giuseppe, Marina Di Pulsano, Massafra, Lizzano, Avetrana

For the broader travel overview: Taranto.