The Otranto Lighthouse was designed in 1863 by engineer Achille Rossi and completed a few years later. It was built just below a 16th-century observation tower. Until 1978, it was manned by the Italian Navy.

For a long time, the lighthouse remained off and abandoned. The restoration was funded by the European Union, the Italian State, the Puglia Region, and the Municipality of Òtranto. Since 2019, it has been reopened to the public.

At the base of the tall tower, there is a dwelling that used to house lighthouse keepers' families until the 1960s, who passed down the profession from father to son. A spiral staircase with 150 steps - the last ones made of wood - leads to the lantern room.

Speaking of lighthouses and lanterns, there's a story you should know. Nearby, you can still see the remains of the Torre del Serpe, probably a Roman-era lighthouse, later restored in the 1200s. The name is associated with a legend: that of a serpent that climbed up from the cliffs every night to drink the oil that kept the lighthouse lantern burning.

Where do these stories come from? It's historically documented that Roman lighthouses were fueled by oil lamps. Olive oil, of course - but some studies don't rule out the possibility of whale oil being used as well. Now, in ancient times, there was a belief that mythical "sea monsters" had a craving for whale oil. That's why they would crawl up from the sea, searching for lanterns.

In any case, oil - and the light it provided - were precious for the safety of the coasts and ships. Lighthouses were therefore manned by sentinels. An inefficient soldier might have invented the story of the serpent to justify a dangerous lapse in attention.