Monument to the Heroes of Otranto

We are in the monumental part of the seafront where stands the monument (inaugurated in the 1922) dedicated to the heroes and martyrs who died in 1480 under the Turkish fleets. High about 3.70 m, the statue depicts a woman wrapped in a large cloak with a headdress bearing the coat of arms of the city, while on her cloak there is the coat of arms of the Province of Lecce, finally a dolphin biting the Turkish crescent. The woman hugs the flag and the cross, symbols of patriotism and faith that the Otranto people would have defended with their blood. The concept that inspired the artist is the disdainful pride of the city of Otranto, depicted as a heroine who turns a proud and contemptuous gaze towards the sea from which the invading Turks came.