Abbey of San Leonardo di Siponto

The Abbey was founded in the early 12th century by the Canons Regular of St. Augustine, it served as a spiritual refuge for pilgrims journeying to the Sanctuary of Monte Sant’Angelo and for crusaders en route to the Holy Land. In 1261, the abbey became a key base for the Teutonic Knights in Apulia, who remained until the late 15th century. The church features a three-nave layout and is renowned for its intricately carved Romanesque portal, adorned with vegetal motifs and a 13th-century baldachin. A unique astronomical phenomenon occurs annually on June 21st, the summer solstice, when a beam of sunlight passes through a specially designed opening, projecting a rose-shaped light pattern onto the floor—a spectacle known as cattura del sole ("capture of the sun").