Discover Tuglie: History, Churches and Local Culture

Tuglie brings together churches, museums and evidence of peasant culture in its historic centre. The townscape includes the Palazzo Ducale, the underground olive mill and the town’s festivals.

Historic Centre and Peasant Heritage

The Santa Lucia district forms the oldest core of Tuglie’s historic centre. The Palazzo Ducale stands there, the residence of the Venturi dukes, which was built in the early 1600s. The palace houses the Museum of Peasant Civilisation and Folk Traditions of Salento. According to tradition, the Chiesa Matrice is dedicated to the Madonna dell’Annunziata and stands on the site of a former small chapel. This chapel had been built where there had previously been a stone niche containing an image of the Holy Souls.

The underground olive mill of Tuglie lies on the edge of the historic centre. It dates from the late 17th century and is considered a distinctive site bearing witness to the peasant civilisation of Salento. A visit to the Museo della Radio Tuglie takes you from the museum’s main room through the study room with the “Marconi” Library to the underground olive mill. During an expert-guided tour, you will see radios, sounds, instruments and mechanisms; the instruments and mechanisms are operated for visitors. At the Frantoio Ipogeo, visitors can also follow the various stages of olive-oil production – from the torchio alla calabrese press introduced in Terra d’Otranto in the 17th century to the hydraulic presses of the 20th century. Experiential and multisensory workshops complement this subject.

Churches, Festivals and Remembrance

The Chiesa delle Anime was opened for worship in 1883. Inside, there is an altar dedicated to the Madonna del Carmelo and a papier-mâché statue. The Chiesa della B.V.M. di Monte Grappa has a circular floor plan and a domed vault modelled on the church in the Sacrario di Bassano sul Monte Grappa. Its construction was completed in 1940, and it was opened for worship in 1941. In 1948, the Parco della Rimembranza, a war shrine and a staircase with the Stations of the Cross were created around the church.

Tuglie’s historic centre celebrates the patronal feast of Maria Santissima Annunziata on 23 March. A traditional sweet of this festival was “lu core te cupeta”, a heart-shaped treat made from caramelised sugar and almonds. The feast of the Beata Vergine del Grappa takes place on 4 August; it marks the end of the summer religious festivals in Tuglie. The culture of remembrance also includes the Monumento ai Caduti in guerra: the obelisk bears four bronze plaques with the names of 97 fallen soldiers from Tuglie in the war of 1915 to 1918. On its front is a bronze statue of the goddess of victory laying down a laurel wreath. The sculptor Antonio Bortone, who came from Ruffano, was commissioned to execute the monument.

Menhirs and Mysterious Places

Concrete evidence of the local landscape can also be found outside the historic centre. The Grotte Passaturi, also known as Case vecchie, lies near Tuglie’s primary schools and is considered a possible dwelling place of the ancient Tulli people. The Caruggio Menhir stands along the Via Vicinale del Caruggio, while the Scirocco Menhir is located on the Scirocco estate. The Monte Prino Menhir stands protected on the grounds of a private villa.

More travel ideas:Campi Salentina, Ruffano, Giuggianello, Nardò, Diso, Marina di Marittima, Sannicola, Rosa Marina

For the higher-level travel overview: Lecce.