What to do and see in Salento, Puglia: The Best Historic Sites

They extend underground for about 200 square meters, Below the buildings D'Acugna and fats, which face onto Via Antonietta De Pace. Our Gallipoli are the property of the Association Gallipoli Nostra, which in 1988 had them fully restored and opened to the public use. Inside were reconstructed models of the eighteenth century, some presses Calabrese (two large screws). Originals are, however, the press Genovese (a single screw) and a few presses of the nineteenth century. The visit is particularly challenging with the help of expert guides, who make known to the visitor the techniques and phases of olive oil, thus reliving significant moments in history and local culture, as well as in times when for food oil was marketed primarily for industrial uses (in the carding of wool - especially so required by Paesidel Northern Europe, Sweden and England in the head) and for public and private lighting.

The hypogeum Bellacicco is a hypogeum structure. Its peculiarity which makes this structure unique all over the historic and artistic landscape of Taranto is that in it we can find records of all the ages and the historical periods dating back from Taranto's foundation by the Spartans up to the XVII century, date of the building of the homonymous noble palace. The hypogeum is divided into 4 rooms (5-8 metres hight) and shows an extension of 800 square metres and a depth which reaches, at the lovest levels (4 altogher) 16 metres under the street basement and 4 metres under the sea level. The structure, in central position as regards the isle of the historic centre, represents a crossroad with the other hypogeum structures of the ancient village that constitues, on the whole, the system of "Taranto Underground" that reaches and radiates just from the hypogeum de Beaumont Bonelli Bellacicco. Thought it is difficult to set a precise date of building and the different historic developments of the structure, all the historical, archeological and geological studies report as date of the first building of the hypogeum the period of foundation of Taranto city when the Spartans extracted the first rock banks to build the first constructions and fortifications. Later this area of the historical centre will be called Caves Area.The structure is private property and privately run without public financing. It currently houses the Cultural Association "Filonide" and it is the only hypogeum structure fully restored and accessible in the historical centre. The restoration of the structure (lasted 6 years) was realized by the family funds of its current owners (family Bellacicco) without public or private financing. In 2007 it received the acknoledgement as remarkable cultural heritage by the Minister for cultural heritage and activities by the apposition of a display at the entrance of the structure. The hypogeum is object of different degree thesis in Italy and in the U.S.A and it is a container of cultural and artistic events of different kind

The Lama D’Antico Rock Park houses one of the most interesting rock settlements in Apulia. Here you can explore several structures which were part of the village (X-XV c. A.D.): -the imposing church carved into the rock, -cave-dwellings, -caves used as work-shops. In addition, in the park you can also visit two small lovely churches, St. John’s and St. Lawrence’s whose walls are frescoed in bright vivacious colours. The entire itinerary is set in a wonderful natural habitat rich of olive groves and Mediterranean maquis.