Three old doors used to protect the village in the old times: Capuchins’ Door (19th century), St Peter’s Door and Door of the Light date both to the 19th century. In the historic centre the tourist can visit several ‘case a corte’ and palaces such as Tafuri Palace, Zimarra Palace, Berardelli Palace, Orsini Palace, Mangiò Palace and so on. The Church of St Catherine of Alexandra was built in 1383, on the façade there is a central portal richly decorated and other two smaller side portals. The church has nave and double aisles. The internal walls are thoroughly covered with frescos. The painting of the Martyrdom of St Agate and that of Our Lady of the Apple are both valuable works. The Parish Church is dedicated to St Peter, has a nave and two aisles. It was built in 1335, restored after the earthquake of 1473 and the baroque altars were demolished in 1875 and rebuilt. Its stately façade has three portals dating to the 17th century. Inside we can admire the paintings representing the Assumption of St Joseph, The Rosary and Our Lady of the Carmine. The Church of the Carmine was built together with the Monastery of the Carmelite between 1670 and 1974. In 1809 the Carmelites left the monastery, which became a Hospital. It is an aisleless church, there is a 18th century organ, some altars and a painting representing Our Lady with the Child. The Church of St Mary of the Graces was built in 1508 next to the Dominican Monastery according to the will of the Castriota Scanderbegs but it was thoroughly restructured in 1720. It has a stately portal and a Latin cross plan. Inside there is a 18th century organ and eight altars richly decorated. The Church of Our Lady of the Sorrow is an aisleless church and dates to the 18th century. Its façade has two small portals and is very sober. In the middle of the portal there is a statue of the Virgin made in 1716. Inside there are fourteen paintings dating to 1756 and six pictures of 1780, the most important is the painting with the Pity. The tourist should also visit the Church of the Leaves. Above the portal there is a statue of the Virgin whose mantle is hold by two angels. Inside there are three altars, a pipe organ and interesting paintings representing the Nativity, the Magi and the Virgin. The Church of St Catherine was built in 1506 by the Olivetans and was restructured at the beginning of the 17th century. At first the church had a nave and two aisles, but now is aisleless and its façade is very sober. The Church of St Mary of the Light was built in the 17th century according to the will of the Bishop Santander and the valuable painting of the Rosary dates to the same century. The church and the Monastery of the Capuchins were built in the 16th century according to the will of Nicola Zimarra who sold everything he had to help paying out the building. Inside the church there are six altars but the organ was destroyed in the Second World War. In 1866 the Capuchins left the monastery and it became barracks. The small Church of the Virgin of the Purity was built in the 17th century. Inside the church there are a wooden statue of the Virgin and a painting which shows Jesus giving the keys to St Peter. The church of the Souls in Purgatory was finished in 1708 and has an octagonal plan. The façade is very sober. The high altar is dedicated to the Virgin of Loreto made in our local stone and, above it, there is a stately painting representing the Virgin and the Souls of the Purgatory. In the territory of Galatina, outside the urban area, the tourist should also visit the farms (masserie), such as Masseria Li Vasci, Masserie Case Russe, Masseria Lo Scalfo, Masseria La Grotta and so on. The patron saints of the village are St Peter and Paul and the population celebrates them on June 29th.

The people living in Galatina are usually called ‘carzi larghi’ or ‘cuccasci’. ‘Carzi larghi’ means large trousers and is an idiomatic expression to mean they are boast and vain people. ‘Cuccasci’ means ‘owl’ and apparently they are a bit naïve and silly. This animal is one of the characters of an old legend. Once upon a time a farmer sat down and looked at the wheat he had just finished harvesting. He was proud of himself and very satisfied with the outcome, suddenly he heard somebody screaming ‘ that all mine’ (the Italian words sound like the cry of an owl), but he could not see anybody around him. The bird went on making its strange sounds, the farmer went on hearing the same sentence and he did not realize it was only an owl cry! The farmer thought an impertinent and shrewd person was hiding somewhere, he was more and more frightened so, at the end, he decided to burn his own harvest instead of leaving it to somebody else. He burnt what he had tilled for such a long time!