Ruffano

Ruffano is a small town located in the province of Lecce, immersed in the countryside of the Serre Salentine, with olive trees galore, numerous farmhouses, and traditional pajare and "truddhi" constructions. The well-preserved historic centre is made up of noble residences, courtyard houses and ancient places of worship. In Piazza del Popolo we find the mother church, dedicated to the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, with 18th-century paintings by local painter Saverio Lillo and Baroque altars. Alongside the church stands the Palazzo Brancaccio from 1625, built as a noble residence on the remains of a fortress from the High Middle Ages and boasting a splendid loggia. Of the town's other noble palaces, the most spectacular is Palazzo Licci in Piazza IV Novembre, with its remarkable double-arched window. The village is known for producing handmade ceramics.