Via Giuseppe Melorio

Giuseppe Melorio lived in the 18th century and was a magnanimous and benevolent man toward the poor. Upon his death in 1793, he left legacies charged to his testamentary heir, Cav. Francesco Salsedo, consisting of the bequest of a house in the historic center and several properties in favor of the Municipality of Otranto. He also decided to allocate a sum in perpetuity for the feast of the Holy Martyrs, to be paid by his heirs.

To this day, the house on Via Melorio remains municipal property and houses the city archive. The heirs never refused to transfer the property to the Municipality but categorically refused to pay the sum, thus disregarding Giuseppe Melorio’s wishes. In 1827, the Municipality filed and won a lawsuit, resulting in the seizure of the Salsedo-Granafei palace on Via Duomo, which passed into municipal ownership. The Melorio Palace was enlarged, and the front section was newly built, as can still be seen today, clad in Cursi stone.