A low, rocky hill divides Morciano di Leuca from its hamlet Barbarano del Capo, founded in the Middle Ages in a position that offered natural protection from the raids of “barbarians.” A 16th-century tower, an example of 16th-century military architecture, and the coeval parish church dedicated to St. Lawrence, simple and linear in its development, denote the town’s historic center. The wonders that made Barbarano famous, however, are revealed on the outskirts of the town: these are the vore, huge natural sinkholes, and the monumental complex of Santa Maria del Belvedere (so-called Leuca Piccola). The structure was erected at the turn of the 17th and 18th centuries with the function of a resting and refreshment place along the “Pilgrims’ Way” that led to the Sanctuary of the Madonna of Leuca.

The Little Leuca
An imposing neoclassical-style portico, leaning against the pre-existing building of worship, provides access to its interior, where an 18th-century pictorial decoration of fine workmanship stands out to the eye. In the sacristy, in addition to a small “pile” containing water for sacred ablutions, there are two confessionals carved out of the rock. The complex also consists of a large hypogeum with bunks for pilgrims and three deep wells that provided drinking water for wayfarers. Other rooms, built on the surface, offered shelter to travelers and the animals in their wake. Shelters and warehouses for goods, of course, fostered trade in basic necessities. A plaque, a witness to an ancient and no longer extant inn, bears engraved 10 P’s that refer to the famous maxim: Words Poorly Thought Bring Punishment, Therefore Think First, Then Speak. The grandeur of the complex misled many pilgrims, who turned back as they thought they had already reached their destination: the Sanctuary of Finibus Terrae.