Palazzo Palmieri in Martignano is a noble 17th-century building in the heart of Grecìa Salentina. Today a historical symbol and home to the Cultural Tourism Park, it offers hospitality and promotion services.

The underground oil mill of Palazzo Palmieri in Martignano is a 17th-century gem. Through its ancient millstones and presses, it tells the story of ingenuity and the centuries-old history of oil production in Grecìa Salentina.

The Wells of San Pantaleo in Martignano are a feat of traditional hydraulic engineering. These “pozzelle” carved into the rock guaranteed water and development for the community for centuries.

The Pozzelle of Pirro in Zollino combine myth and rural engineering. With 46 cisterns still active, this hydraulic archaeology site recounts the secular struggle against drought in Grecìa Salentina.

Apigliano Park preserves 61 medieval “pozzelle,” a vital water reserve for the ancient Byzantine village. Today, the site testifies to the wise, millenary management of resources in the Grecìa region.

The cisterns of Masseria Gloria in Zollino stand out for their rectangular plan and Lecce stone blocks. A unique variation of the local water system, they testify to the evolution of techniques.

The Pozzelle Park in Castrignano De’ Greci is a green lung with 101 cisterns carved into the rock. Up to 6 meters deep, they bear witness to rural ingenuity and the identity of Grecìa Salentina.

The Baronial Palace of Castrignano De’ Greci, built in the 15th century for defense against the Saracens, features zoomorphic gargoyles and a decorated portal. Today, it is the town hall and a vibrant social hub.

The Former Abbey of Candelora in Castrignano is an example of a 16th-century courtyard house. Originally a monastery, it preserves rural elements like water channels and cisterns, symbols of local peasant culture.

Masseria Mauro Monico in Castrignano de’ Greci is a historic, unfortified agricultural structure. Featuring a T-shaped layout and ancient origins, it preserves original cisterns, symbols of local pastoral life.

The Dominican Convent of Castrignano (18th century), now the Town Hall, boasts an elegant cloister and a Baroque and Rococo church. The single-nave interior houses precious stuccos and sacred paintings.

The Granafei oil mill in Sternatia, active until the 19th century, is the only one of 19 local underground structures still open to visitors. it preserves millstones and presses, testifying to historical oil production.

The village of Sternatia preserves a walled layout with courtyard houses and “mignani” (traditional balconies). In via Giudeca, the “stennò” stands out—a narrow corridor for right-of-way that offers a glimpse of the bell tower.

Palazzo Granafei in Sternatia, a jewel of Salento Baroque built on Byzantine ruins, boasts Rococo frescoes and a lavish portal. Today, it houses the Chora-ma study center for the protection of the Grika language.

Le pozzelle di Soleto sono cisterne a secco scavate nella roccia per raccogliere l’acqua piovana. Essenziali per secoli in un territorio arido, oggi sono simboli dell’ingegno contadino salentino.

The Church of Santo Stefano in Soleto is a late-Gothic gem with 14th-15th century frescoes. Commissioned by the Del Balzo Orsini family, it blends Byzantine and Latin art, a symbol of Grecìa’s identity.

The Pozzelle Park in Corigliano d’Otranto preserves ancient dry-stone cisterns carved into the rock. A true open-air museum, it celebrates peasant ingenuity in water resource management.

The Castle of Corigliano marks the transition from square towers to circular ones, designed to withstand artillery fire. Today, the manor is a vibrant cultural hub, a symbol of regeneration in the Salento region.

Piazza San Giorgio in Melpignano is among the most beautiful in Italy. With its rare Renaissance porticoes and the majestic Mother Church, it blends history and civic function on an elegant stage of Lecce stone.

The Marchesale Palace of Melpignano is a refined example of a fortified noble residence. With its sober style, watchtowers, and checkerboard garden, it dominates the Grecìa Salentina.

The House-Museum of Calimera, located in a typical courtyard house, is the heart of Grika culture. Through its library and artifacts, it recounts rural life and the Hellenophone roots of Grecìa Salentina.

The Municipal Villa of Calimera is a historical park home to the Attic Stele (4th century BC), a gift from Athens that seals the millenary bond between Greece and the Grika community. A symbol of Mediterranean internationalism.

The courtyard house in Martano, such as Corte Grande, is the emblem of Mediterranean living. A communal space for farm laborers’ families, it transformed daily toil into social life and mutual aid in the heart of Salento.

The historic center of Martano blends Lecce stone palaces, courtyard houses, and a 15th-century Aragonese castle with cylindrical towers. It is a perfect synthesis of Baroque art and military defense.

Palazzo Gaetani in Martano, featuring eclectic and neoclassical tastes, was the home of the man of letters Salvatore Gaetani. It boasts an arched courtyard, precious mosaics, and a garden connected to the noble halls.

Rediscovered in 2002, the underground oil mill of Carpignano (17th–18th century) is carved into the rock. It preserves millstones and “Calabrese” and “Genovese” style presses, testifying to ancient oil-making mastery.

Palazzo Ghezzi in Carpignano, a Baroque jewel, is the heart of the MUS.AR.CA., a diffuse museum with an archaeological section. Its portal and noble coat of arms narrate Salento’s history and identity.

The manuscript of V.D. Palumbo in Calimera describes the project for a publishing house for a “Modern Salento Library.” It includes the articles of association and members, aimed at filling a local cultural void.

First printing of “Il Lamento” (The Lament), a Grika poem edited by V.D. Palumbo. Part of his historical library, it is kept in the House-Museum of Calimera as a precious witness to local culture.

Video from 03/31/25: flood rains reactivate the “pozzelle” of Soleto, Castrignano, and Zollino. After 50 years, the sites of Pirro and Apigliano once again demonstrate the efficiency of their ancient water system.