The area has always been a strategic hub, and has been the centre of many conflicts through the course of history. The baroque town of Lecce is approx. 35 km from here and Maglie is 4km, whilst Otranto with its medieval centre and castle is 16 km away.
Muro Leccese offers many beautiful baroque buildings, and cute small squares. There are six churches, 12 palaces, and in the small town Corti as well as several large monoliths where the maximum is at 4.3 metres and is located at the Byzantine church Santamarina.
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Today there are approx. 5,000 inhabitants in the town as there have been the past several decades. Residents of the town are teased by being called PORCI, which means pigs. It's all due to an old tale about a pig farmer who lived in the town who was not the most enlightened human being. He had many pigs and had to keep them outdoors in a large enclosure. After a period of much rain he put them in a large oven to dry ... which was turned on. The poor creatures screamed and screamed but the only thing that the wise man said was, "Look how they laugh". After the Christian town festival Santi Medici, which takes place on 26th, 27th and 28th September, the pig was slaughtered and cooked, and all residents had the right to eat a small piece of pork. Today, this tradition doesn't exist but the festival that takes place on the third Sunday in October is still called - the Feast of Lu Porcu meu meaning my pig.
Other festivals are:
- Santa Maria di Miggiano takes place on the first Thursday after Easter
- SS. Crocefisso is held on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th May
- Santa Marina is held the second Sunday in July
