It has also been claimed that the name is related to the founders of the area, who arrived by sea and would have been called marittimi; so Marittima indicates the place where they lived.

There is no definite information on the origins of the town although it is assumed that Marittima was founded or inhabited by the Messapi and that it suffered the same fate as its neighbours, Vaste, Diso and Castro, which were overtaken first by the Romans and then by the Byzantines, the Normans and Angevins.

The first written document confirming the presence of the settlement dates back to 1277; the Angevin registers from one year inform us of a certain "Rubeo de Soliaco" who was named "Lord of Casale Marittima".

In the feudal Middle Ages, the daily life of the area's farmers and fishermen was shaken up when, on the 28 July 1537, the Turks (who were allies of the French against the Spanish governor of the Kingdom of Naples) seized Castro and destroyed several towns, including Marittima.

Some years later, in 1573 when Marittima had only a hundred inhabitants, the town was ransacked again, this time by Saracen pirates (as were many neighbouring areas).

In the central vault there is a stunning elliptical dome on which is painted the glory of the Trinity and the family of Saint Vitale.

The City Towers were built by the Marittima University or by private citizen to defend the small town against attacks by Turkish pirates above all after the destruction of Otranto (1480) and Castro (1537 and 1573).

The largest and the most artistically beautiful, Torre di Alfonso (named after the owner) is located in the heart of the old town, in Via Cellini.

Galleria Santuario Madonna di Costantinopoli The economy is predominantly agricultural and is based on the production of oil, vegetables and tobacco.

With the growth of tourism in Salento, in recent years there has been a sharp increase in the appearance of hotels, guest houses and other holiday accommodation.