Mesagne

About

A Messapi center as far back as the 12th century BC, the city’s location between Brindisi and Oriaon the Via Appia allowed it to thrie under Roman rule, but it was all but destroyed following the fall of the Roman Empire. In the 12th century, the arrival of the Normans revitalized the city, and in the 15th century it became a fiefdom of the Taranto princes. Today, visitors can still see the an enormous portion of the city’s history in the Norman-Swabian Castle. Originally built in 1062, it was destroyed in the mid-13th century and rebuilt in the early 15th century, and now offers guided tours as well as an Archeological Museum. The 18th church of Santissima Annunziata features an eight-sided floor-plan and has preserved the ancient Veronica Portal from the older church it replaced. At the center of town, excavations are underway to uncover an 11th century Messapian necropolis.