Santa Maria di Leuca (from the greek Leucos which means white, Lèviche in local dialect) is a village in the municipality of Castrignano del Capo, the town to the South of the province.

A trip to Leuca is like returning to the days of St. Peter, who traveled to Rome, seems to have made a stop right here. It was then that the temple dedicated to the goddess Minerva on the headland japigeo, (now the Basilica), became a place of Christian worship.

After numerous attacks by invading Turks and Saracens, that arrived from the sea, the church, as we see it today, was rebuilt by Bishop Giovanni Giannelli between 1720 and 1755, which gave the structure a fortress to defend it just by looting.

With the Sanctuary were also built the adjacent buildings to offer hospitality to pilgrims. The interior has a single nave and altar you can admire the painting of the Madonna and Child, painted by Giacomo Palma Junior.
The Sanctuary has been elected to a minor Basilica minore 7 october 1990, and since then, the devotion to Our Lady de Finibus Terrae has increasingly be incremented, so that today it is a destination for many pilgrims from all over the world.

In 2000 the Basilica-Sanctuary has been enriched by three beautiful bronze doors by sculptor Armando Marrocco. These are the names of three doors: Janua Coeli (the middle door), the exodus (right), Stella Maris (left).

Inside the Church has placed a large boulder monolithic, altar Minerva, reminiscent of the cult to the goddess Minerva in Leuca.

On the opposite side is a bronze plaque commemorating the crew of Leon Gambetta, a French cruiser sunk off SM di Leuca on the night of April 26, 1915, by dragging the seabed 700 men.

In the square you can admire the Marian column, dates back to 1694, by Filiberto Aierbo d'Aragona, Duke of Alessano and Prince of Cassano, on which was placed a Madonna in prayer, receiving the greeting of the angel at the beginning of the arcs.

The cross monument was erected in memory of the pilgrimage of October 21, 1901 sponsored by Msgr.  Luigi Pugliese on the occasion of the Holy Year.

The 102-meter tall lighthouse, 55 at sea level and 47 from the earth, was built in 1864 and is among the most important in Italy.

The Cross Pietrina is located on the avenue leading to the Basilica of the trees of the pine forest, and was built to witness the passage of St. Peter.