Diso, located on the eastern side of the Salento peninsula, includes a short stretch of the Adriatic coast and the hamlet of Marittima.
The origins of Diso would seem to date back to the Bronze Age, as suggested by the discovery of the menhir VardareThe town was founded around the 8th century BC, when the Messapians built the fortified centre of Dizos, so called to emphasize its defensive role. The origin of the toponym could derive from the Messapian word Dizos, which literally means “fortified city”.
The Messapians were succeeded by the Romans, Byzantines, Lombards and Saracens. Then, having become a fief of the Normans of Altavilla, it passed from hand to hand until the Rossi family, who maintained the lordship until its end, in 1806.
From the 11th to the 20th century, the history of Diso is inextricably linked to that of nearby Castro, first elevated to a county and then reduced to ruins in 1537 by Turkish raids. In this period, Diso took on the role of Castro’s hamlet, to become, in the 17th century, after the fall of Castro, the most important and most populated center of the county and, at the beginning of the 19th century, with the Napoleonic laws, even the capital of the municipality.
Today Diso is a privileged destination for those who choose sustainable tourism, far from the chaos, in the name of quality, but at the same time economically accessible. Proof of this is that many famous people have chosen Diso and Marittima as their summer residence in recent years. Since 2006 it has been part of the Otranto-Santa Maria di Leuca and Bosco di Tricase Park, wanted by the Puglia Region to safeguard the flora, fauna, architectural works and coasts of Salento.
Of particular interest is the Church of San Francesco d’Assisi, in Baroque style, and the adjoining convent of the Capuchin Friars, built at the beginning of the 17th century. The convent hosted a large community of friars and was the seat of theological studies. Also worthy of note is the Church of Saints Filippo and Giacomo, rebuilt in the 18th century on the site of the ancient Romanesque church dating back to the 11th century, which has an elegant and sinuous façade in carparo and preserves various richly decorated altars inside.
The monumental Patronal Festival, which takes place from April 21 to May 3, is dedicated to the Holy Apostles Philip and James. The celebrations include fireworks displays, band concerts and musical performances, in the setting of huge lights that decorate the squares and streets of the center.
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