Standing on a high hill in the middle of a plane, Mottola is known as the “Jonian Spy” for its strategic position which allows you to admire all the Gulf of Taranto. The territory was inhabited since prehistory, as testified by several findings from that age. Mottola’s landmarks are especially the rock-hewn churches, carved over the century, where amazing frescos are still preserved. Noteworthy are the “Grotte di Dio”(God’s Caves), to which St. Nicholas from Myra church belongs; it is famous for its well-preserved frescos, dating back to the 11th- 14th centuries. Another peculiarity of the church is a little hole, through which the sun-light projects a sunbeam right on St. Nicholas' image twice a year.