Melpignano is 26 km from Lecce and sits in an area interesting from a commercial and religious point of view, as seen in the remarkable quantity of churches and chapels. The presence of menhir indicates the Bronze Age as the origin of the first settlements in the area, which however was developed by Greek penetration or according to others by the assignment of the Roman centurion Malpinio. At the end of the Greek-Byzantine domination, Melpignano was the feud of the Orsini Del Balzo.
The Church of San Giorgio, named after Melpignano’s patron saint, sitting on a square of the same name. The first construction dates back to 1440 followed by renovation work in 1700 and decoration of its interior with altars and statues in papier-mâché. Piazza di San Giorgio is one of the most charming in the Salento with its porticoed structure created in the 16th century to house a thriving weekly market. The complex of the former Augustinian monastery with annexed Church of Carmine built between the 16th and 17th centuries, is reminiscent of the Lecce churches S. Croce and S. Angelo. Its interior is built of single nave with altars bearing the figure of the lion as a symbol of strength. In the space in front of the complex, the final evening of the Notte della Taranta is held every year in August, a popular music performance organized by the Greek speaking municipalities of the Salento.
Sources: By the editorial staff Updated on: 09/09/2010
Project created in collaboration with InnovaPuglia.
Regione Puglia
Regione Puglia