Ugento is a municipality in the meridional Salento, Apulia region in province of Lecce; Ugento rises on a small hill and is surrounded by a rich country vegetation lowering to the sea.
Its economy is based on agriculture (wine, olive oil, vegetables, flowers, ect), industry (furniture, metal structures, concrete products), small handicrafts and tourism.
The first human traces date back to 12,000 years B.C., and to the II° century with a people named 'Japigi'. There are no news about the peoples named 'Messapiche' (meaning between two seas); we only know that these towns,around the VII°century were renovated according to the models of the Greek towns. At that time Ugento was surrounded by high boundary walls 4,5 Km long and surrounding an urban surface of 145 hectars.
Its walls were 6 mt. high and 5 meters wide, with many Towers-Doors on them. These dimensions let us suppose that Ugento was among the largest and most powerful towns in the Messapia region and probably the chief town of the confederation. This importance is also confirmed by the presence of the Mint. When the Romans took the power, it became the capital in pectore of a wide territory. With the fall of the Roman empire in 476, the town of Ugento declined in importance; infact, the town was attacked byt the Greeks, the Longobards, the Saracens up to become a ruin during the centuries.
With the coming of the Normans in the XI century, the town recovered its ancient importance and in 1399 it was annexed to the principality of Taranto with a population of 8,000 inhabitants. It was the feud of the Artus, Della Ratta, Aquino, Orsini del Balzo, Colonna, Pandone, Vaaz and D'amore families.In the town centre are the massive Castle, restored several times during the years, the Cathedral with a neoclassical façade, built at the beginning of this century on the ruins of the ancient church destroyed by the Turks.
Connections.
The town of Ugento is served by the highway connecting Lecce to Santa Maria di Leuca with two entrances, one at the beginning of the provincial road going from Ugento to Taurisano and the other soon after the crossroad Casarano-Melissano; other national roads:N.101 Salentina of Gallipoli and N.274 Salentina of Patù, plus the other internal provincial roads connecting Ugento with the surrounding towns. Ferrovie Sud-Est: Lecce-Gagliano del Capo.
Ugento is a municipality in the meridional Salento, Apulia region in province of Lecce; Ugento rises on a small hill and is surrounded by a rich country vegetation lowering to the sea.
