The Cathedral of San Giovanni Battista stands at the heart of Brindisi's old town, its origins going back to the eleventh century, though the current façade is an eighteenth-century reconstruction after earthquake damage. Step inside and the building reveals its medieval bones: thick Norman columns, a mosaic floor in the nave, and fragments of original Romanesque stonework visible in the side chapels.
The cathedral treasury holds some notable pieces, including a Byzantine icon and medieval enamels brought back from the Crusades. The piazza in front is the social centre of the old town — cafes spill out onto the cobblestones and the evening passeggiata brings half the city here. The campanile, though not original, has good views over the terracotta rooflines toward the harbour.