Noha castel

“Over 4 centuries of history in Noha”

According to Jacopo Antonio Ferrari (1507 – 1588), the House of Baroni de Noha settled in the feud from which they took their name in 1192, following the division of the county of Lecce by Tancred the Norman. In 1463, Antonello De Noha had the walls and castle built.

In 1550, in his work ‘Descrittione di tutta Italia’ Fra’ Leandro Alberti (1479 – 1552) among other things, wrote the following about these districts:

“There are many villas and districts inhabited by Greeks, [ …] all of which are delightful and productive of tasty fruits, so that gardens of citrons, oranges, lemons and other fruits can be seen on all sides.

Coming from Otranto and leaving behind ‘Corliano, a place amidst great olive groves’, he finds himself in San Pietro in Galatina: ‘The lordship of this castle is held by Ferrando of the noble Castriota family […] Then, leaving and walking a mile, Soleto appears, a very ancient place, and two miles away we find the very strong castle of Noha, located in a forte loco.

The historian, philosopher and theologian Fra’ Leandro noted the mighty castle standing as if on a hill, surrounded by walls and three towers built by Baron Antonello De Noha. The three towers surrounded by a crown of orange and one of oak trees, surmounted by the baronial crown, later became the coat of arms of the Universitas nohana.

This castle, to which history has clung over the centuries, has in its innards a large underground oil mill for the production of oil and, behind the palace, a little to the side, one of the aforementioned towers, full of wrinkles and legends.