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The Messapii, or Messapians, were an advanced yet ancient pre-Roman people who colonised the entire Salentine peninsular, probably crossing over the Adriatic around 1000 BC.
Roca (by Melendugno, on the coast east of Lecce) was settled in the Bronze Age and became an important centre of this Messapian civilisation. It, along with the Grotta della Poesia (see my other tip)
is one of the most important archeological sites in the Mediterranean.
In this picture it's easy to spot my flatmates and the sea. It's also possible - but difficult at this resolution - to discern the carvings in the rock ("crateri" in Italian) which remain from this ancient culture.
This Messapian habitation was destroyed by a siege and a fire. In medieval times, after many centuries, a new fortified town was built in the same place - only to be razed once again in the mid-1500s, probably on Spanish orders.
Updated Jul 21, 2004
Popular these days with the local youths as a place to display their diving skills, this natural rock formation is actually a prime archeological site.
In Messapian times (see my other Off the Beaten Track tip for this history in more detail) the cave was probably the sanctuary of one of their divinities, Thator Andirahas. Large parts of the rock surface is covered in religious invocations in Messapian, Greek and Latin.
As for the name of the cave, legend has it that a beautiful princess was bathing in the restorative waters, and her beauty inspired the poets who gathered to compose verses.
Written Jul 21, 2004
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Popular these days with the local youths as a place to display their diving skills, this natural rock formation is actually a prime archeological site. In...
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I shared a flat with a couple from this area, and they were kind enough to invite me to stay when they went home for the summer. Due to my flatmate's racing-driver tendencies, it was impossible to...
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