Located a few kilometers from the sea, on the ancient road between Bari and Brindisi, a wonderful site full of extraordinary artifacts from the Messapian and Roman eras.

Photo: SilviaS75 • CC BY 3.0

A splendid example of Apulian Romanesque architecture, we can find the remains of an early Christian Basilica, with three naves with a mosaic floor. It is still possible to observe some columns and capitals and traces of mosaic decoration. Inside the archaeological park, we also find the remains of the Roman settlement, with some parts of the amphitheater and portions of the ancient city walls.

Photo: Matteo Nuzziello • CC BY-SA 4.0

The town's hypogea might have served different functions over the centuries, but they now serve as cellars and stalls. The vast system of caves in the nearby ravine still carries the marks of early human settlements in the area.

Photo: Matteo_Pappadopoli • CC BY-SA 4.0

The Li Scusi Dolmen of Minervino di Lecce is one of the most unusual and representative dolmens in Salento. Consisting of a large, four-sided capstone supported by eight columns, each made up of stacked stones, it stands in a luxuriant olive grove off the provincial road from Minervino to Uggiano la Chiesa.

Photo: Fabrizio Garrisi • CC BY-SA 4.0

The cave of Lamalunga, in the territory of Altamura, is characterized by a system of karst cavities and narrow tunnels. In one of these caves, an extraordinary archeological discovery was made. The fossil skeleton of a man who lived in the Middle and Upper Pleistocene was found and it was named “The man from Altamura”.

Photo: Thilo Parg • CC BY-SA 4.0

A significant pre roman site showcasing the ancient Peucetian civilization that thrived from the 6th to 3rd centuries BC, featuring ruins of fortifications, houses, and necropolis areas, offering insights into indigenous life and trade with Greeks, with findings housed in the nearby National Archaeological Museum. 

Photo: Fabrizio Garrisi • CC BY-SA 4.0