The story
Nardò was born with the arrival of the Messapians, but many legends still surround its foundation.
In the 3rd century it returned to the territory of the Roman Empire and since then its history has been intertwined with that of the peoples who have inhabited the south over the centuries.
When the fiefdom of Nardò passed into the hands of the Acquaviva family, it became a duchy. Belisario Acquaviva brought culture and art to Nardò, thanks to his patronage. Over the centuries, Nardò was the refuge and home of numerous monastic orders, and it is to them that we owe its immense Baroque heritage, building churches and convents that shine like gems among the city's streets.
When the kingdom of Naples passed into Spanish hands, the tax pressure led to popular rebellions and cruel suppressions.
Feudal rule ended in 1806, but Nardò, with its vast lands, continued to be dominated by an authoritarian power: that of the landowners. Two revolts have punctuated its history: the most recent is the Arneo Revolt, which concluded with the passing of the Stralcio reform, the first to address the landowners.
Nardò is a land of rebellion and peasants, a trait woven into the social fabric of the city, which still endures and honorably resists the scourge of gangmastering.
Uluzzu
Uluzzu is a rugged name, seemingly a distant echo of an archaic dialect. This word lends its name to a historical period: the Uluzzian Paleolithic; because among the inlets of this bay, as rugged as its name, the first Homo Sapiens in Europe inhabited, leaving behind remains and graffiti dating back to between eighty thousand and one hundred thousand years BC.
Acquaviva Castle
Duke Giulio Antonio Acquaviva had two merits: he led the Aragonese army in the liberation of Otranto from the Turks and designed the castle of Nardò.
Its crenellated walls are the symbol of a castle built to defend the people. When the castle passed into the hands of the Personè family in the 19th century, it became an elegant noble residence. Baroque elements were introduced, such as the rusticated walls and the masks carved into the cornice, depicting human faces, animals, and strange demons.
The castle also had a moat, a small part of which remains today next to the botanical garden.
Today this building is the town hall. Three important paintings hang in the council chamber, and in the background you can see the Nardò of the past, with its defensive walls, ancient churches and bell towers now destroyed, as well as the clock tower and an original civic coat of arms.
Cathedral Basilica of Santa Maria dell'Assunta
Nardò is a riot of Baroque. Starting from Piazza Salandra, the tour continues toward the churches and convents of the historic center. The façade of the Basilica Cathedral is also Baroque, but it hides much older origins, guarding within its walls the remains of an ancient abbey belonging to the Basilian monks, the first monastic order to arrive in Neretum .
The cathedral we see today is a blend of styles and eras. Various restorations and alterations were made due to the elements, but also to the numerous earthquakes that damaged its structure. When the Benedictine monks arrived, the cathedral had been eroded by the elements and was integrated and rebuilt with Carparo, a more resistant stone. The Normans carried out some modifications and rebuilt the bell tower.
The façade appears alien to the rest of the church, because it is the only Baroque element, just as the roof was also Baroque, which was destroyed after a nineteenth-century renovation.
Nardò Cathedral is a jealous guardian of paintings by important names in Southern Italian painting, but above all it preserves a black wooden crucifix, much revered by the people of Nardò because legend has it that the Saracens sacked the city and tried to steal the crucifix, to burn it in the square, but while they were carrying it, they severed a finger from the statue, causing blood to flow.
Temple of O Sanna
The Osanna is a unique monument, to which no precise meaning has yet been identified. It is a small octagonal temple with an oriental appearance. At its center is a raised central column supporting a spire.
It is thought to represent the symbol of Christian power that imprisons and blocks other religions, in fact the central pillar is most likely actually a pagan stele or a menhir.
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Porto Selvaggio and Palude del Capitano Regional Natural Park
A steep, winding path shaded by a grove of Aleppo pines leads to one of the most beautiful bays in southern Italy. The trek is easily forgiven by the view that surprises us without warning: a pristine bay, surrounded by greenery and gentle cliffs, and lapped by rejuvenating spring waters. We are in the heart of the Porto Selvaggio Natural Park, which was established in 1980 and subsequently expanded in 2006 to include the Palude del Capitano.
In the park's more than one thousand hectares, natural and man-made elements intertwine, creating an ecosystem of Mediterranean scrub and pine trees planted in the 1950s, submerged artificial caves, and natural caves that tell the story of millennia. Porto Selvaggio Park is home to important sites such as the Uluzzu Cave and the Cavallo Cave, home of the Uluzzian Man.
A little further on, in the Serra Cicora, there are traces of an ancient Neolithic necropolis that has no equal and which is still rich in mysteries and interesting features, such as the remains of men buried under some menhirs.
Captain's Marsh is the desert island we all long for, an enchanting place between freshwater gushing from the rocks and saltwater seeping up from underground. A place where time is frozen and the world is shut out—this must have been the thought of the captain who took refuge in this marsh and built a little house to live in peace, spending his time gazing at the small lake and admiring the marine animals and rare plants that grow around it.
If you're an adventurer or not, if you love sand and rocks, if you're curious and a lover of trekking, or if you just enjoy lazing in the sun, Porto Selvaggio Natural Park is the place for you.
Villas of the Cenate
The Cenate area is a land in between the historic center of Nardò and the clear blue waters of Santa Caterina. Along the road connecting these two points lies a veritable riot of Baroque and Art Nouveau architecture, interspersed with Moorish and Neoclassical touches, designed by the most famous architects of the period: these are the villas of Cenate. Built between the 18th and 20th centuries, the villas are framed by a dirt road, dotted with green fig trees and scented by the pungent scent of Mediterranean scrub. They perfectly reflect the taste of the bourgeoisie of the time, who loved to embellish their gardens with exotic plants and neoclassical statues.
Via Taverna is the road that connects Santa Maria di Leuca and Taranto. Its name derives from the villa located on this street, which is also the oldest in the entire architectural complex. This residence was built on an older 15th-century structure that was once used as a hostel and rest stop for horses, as evidenced by the still visible posts in the garden. The villa was built in 1780, with its simple features, refined simply by a portal and balconies reminiscent of the Baroque style, framed by surrounding walls. Another beautiful historic residence is the Cinata del Monsignore, built as the bishop's summer residence at the behest of Bishop Petruccelli in 1755. Construction was completed in 1838, under the reign of then-Bishop Lettieri, and thus the villa is dominated by two clearly distinguishable architectural styles: Baroque and Neoclassical.
All the Cenate villas possess a timeless charm, but none equals the beauty and magnificence of Villa Maria Cristina Personè, built between 1920 and 1930. It is a delicate blend of Baroque and Moorish elements. Oriental arches are inlaid within a backdrop of sinuous forms, friezes, decorations, and monumental staircases. The motto otium cum dignitate immerses us in a setting of elegant patio breakfasts and summer parties, lit by candles and sparkling gowns. At the end of World War II, this villa was traversed by the hobnailed boots of German soldiers, whose marks can still be seen on the floor. Villa Muci, a little further on, served as a hospital during the war and, after the war, housed a group of Jews returning from Nazi concentration camps. This villa, which shines with the immense value that only historical wounds can bestow, has lain abandoned and neglected for years.
Along this main road lies one of the most beautiful corners of Salento, treasured in the hearts of the few who know it. If you haven't yet visited Cenate, or if you happen to pass by on your way to the beach, we have just one piece of advice: stop and admire it. You'll never regret it.
