Salento is a region rich in art, culture and tradition. For this reason, visiting a museum is undoubtedly an experience not to be missed. A single ticket is all it takes to discover some of the wonders of the area’s history, art and traditional heritage. The main museums house collections of sacred and contemporary art, as well as natural history exhibits. Salento has always been a crossroads of peoples and cultures, and the enduring traces of those who once lived here can still be seen today. One of its most distinctive features is Lecce Baroque, which characterises many religious buildings, including the Basilica of Santa Croce in Lecce.

The Diocesan Museum of Ugento-Santa Maria di Leuca and the Diocesan Museum of Lecce house collections and paintings of sacred art.
([www.museodiocesanougento.it](http://www.museodiocesanougento.it)) – (https://museo.diocesilecce.org)

The Basilica de Finibus Terrae in Santa Maria di Leuca, meanwhile, is home to the Vito Mele Museum of Contemporary Art. ([www.museomele.it](http://www.museomele.it))

Natural history museums and attractions well worth visiting include:

• the Calimera Civic Museum, (www.msns.it/il-museo/orari-costi/)
• the Museum of Molluscs and Clay in Cutrofiano, (www.museionline.info/musei/museo-malacologico-delle-argille)
• the La Cutura Botanical Garden in Maglie, (www.lacutura.it)

The Sigismondo Castromediano Archaeological Museum in Lecce is the oldest museum in Puglia and was founded in 1868. (www.comune.lecce.it/vivi-lecce/musei-e-gallerie/museo-provinciale-sigismondo-castromediano)
Finally, the Puglia Railway Museum, located in Lecce, offers a fascinating journey through the history of the Ferrovie del Sud Est railway network, with a collection of historic locomotives, carriages and railway memorabilia. (www.museoferroviariodellapuglia.it)