• 

Along the coastline of Salento lies Melendugno since the Neolithic age, as witnessed by the dolmens found in its surroundings. The spot where history is concentrated is called Rocavecchia, a site with as much as three fortified towns dating back to as early as the XVII-XVI centuries b.C., built one on top of the other’s ruins. This is the only fortified town in Europe that was provided with walls of ashlars and bole. Roca dei Messapi was founded a few centuries later, after the destruction of the former due to a fire. Traces of the Messapic civilization, which is still mostly a mystery, have been found in the marine cave called Poesia Piccola (small poem) together with other Greek and Latin inscriptions. Roca went back to life in the XIV century d.C. thanks to the works implemented by Walter VI of Brienne, but was laid waste by the Turk army.
For a certain period of time, it was the headquarter of the followers of Basil of Cesarea, who lived as hermits in underground caves. After the fall of Roca, the town was built new again, but was then abandoned in the XIX century as it was deemed to be an unhealthy area.