Melpignano: History Between Palaces, Churches and Menhirs

Melpignano Between Palaces, Churches and Menhirs

Melpignano reveals a place where aristocratic palaces, churches, chapels and cobblestone lanes come together to create a multifaceted townscape. The cobblestone lanes can be explored on foot between the elegant façades of aristocratic palaces and numerous churches and chapels. Along the way, you will encounter not only imposing façades but also buildings from different periods of construction with preserved details.

Palazzo Marchesale Castriota and Giardino Marchesale

Palazzo Marchesale Castriota was completed in 1636. It includes watchtowers, defensive walls and battlements surrounding the extensive garden at the rear. In the Giardino Marchesale, avenues laid out at right angles to one another run through the grounds; at its center stands a fountain dating from the late 16th century. The palace, fortifications and garden thus offer different perspectives on the design of the town. The right-angled layout of the avenues gives the garden a clearly recognizable structure.

Churches with Preserved Details

The present-day Chiesa madre di San Giorgio was created through extensive rebuilding and an enlargement carried out between 1785 and 1794. Its 16th-century portal features a high relief of Saint George killing the dragon. The presbytery preserves decorations from the beginnings of the Baroque period and 16th-century frescoes. The interior also contains Baroque altars. At the portal and in the presbytery in particular, historical layers come together in different forms.

Construction of the Augustinian monastery, together with the attached Chiesa del Carmine, began in 1573. The Chiesa del Carmine was completed in 1662 and has an elaborately designed Baroque portal. The years 1573 and 1662 mark two stages in the history of the same complex.

Menhirs in the Melpignano Area

You will also find tangible evidence beyond the churches and palaces. The Minonna Menhir is 280 centimeters high and is located within the built-up area on Via IV Novembre. There are also several menhirs and dolmens in the Melpignano area. The combination of the individual Minonna Menhir and the several menhirs and dolmens in the Melpignano area offers different perspectives on Melpignano’s stone monuments.

Music and Religious Tradition

La Notte della Taranta can be traced back to 1998 as a place of encounter and culture in the center of the Mediterranean region. The traditional music of Salento – Pizzica – is reinterpreted and combined with other forms of musical expression. On April 23, Melpignano honors Saint George, the patron saint of the town, with a procession through its streets.

Access to the Augustinian Complex

Access to the Augustinian monastery and church complex is located at Piazza ex convento degli Agostiniani. The monastery is accessible to people with disabilities, but the church is not. When visiting the Augustinian complex in Melpignano, a distinction must be made between the monastery, which is accessible to people with disabilities, and the church, which is not accessible to them.

More Places for Travel Planning

Palmariggi, Montesano Salentino, Gemini, Marittima, Torre Saracena, Cannole, Tiggiano and Bagnolo Del Salento

For the higher-level travel overview: Lecce.