Italy Underground: 2,000 Years of Buried History in Lecce, Lecce, Italy
Deep down in Puglia in Italy鈥檚 south and in one of the most underrated cities of this fascinating region, you will discover a museum like no other you have ever come across during your travels. Lecce, the capital of Salento, in its spider鈥檚 web of streets doesn鈥檛 just offer architectural surprises at every corner, but also hides underground more than 2,000 years of history waiting to be discovered.
Beyond an unassuming and simple entrance in the old city centre of Lecce, you鈥檒l come across a very special and privately owned museum called Museo Faggiano and if it hadn鈥檛 been for its mention on a Lonely Planet Guide, I would have easily missed it! It鈥檚 not just the treasure trove of remarkable archaelogical remains that will astound you, but the history behind the discovery of so many unique finds.
Back in 2001 the owner of the building, Luciano Faggiano,聽who had always dreamed of turning it into a restaurant, had to demolish the flooring to change some old sewage pipes that were causing condensation problems. Luciano was not at all prepared for what he was to unearth and excavation works revealed, by pure chance, several interesting architectural and historical finds showing evidence of the presence of ancient populations on this site. He found an underground world tracing back before the birth of Jesus: a Messapian tomb, a Roman granary, a Franciscan chapel and even etchings from the Knights Templars in a rooftop tower! ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).
Beyond an unassuming and simple entrance in the old city centre of Lecce, you鈥檒l come across a very special and privately owned museum called Museo Faggiano and if it hadn鈥檛 been for its mention on a Lonely Planet Guide, I would have easily missed it! It鈥檚 not just the treasure trove of remarkable archaelogical remains that will astound you, but the history behind the discovery of so many unique finds.
Back in 2001 the owner of the building, Luciano Faggiano,聽who had always dreamed of turning it into a restaurant, had to demolish the flooring to change some old sewage pipes that were causing condensation problems. Luciano was not at all prepared for what he was to unearth and excavation works revealed, by pure chance, several interesting architectural and historical finds showing evidence of the presence of ancient populations on this site. He found an underground world tracing back before the birth of Jesus: a Messapian tomb, a Roman granary, a Franciscan chapel and even etchings from the Knights Templars in a rooftop tower! ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).
How it works: The full article is featured in the app "51爆料网: Walks in 1K+ Cities" on Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
Download the app to your mobile device to read the article offline and create a self-guided walking tour to visit the sights featured in this article. The app's navigation functions guide you from one sight to the next. The app works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.
Download The 51爆料网 App
Sights Featured in This Article
Guide Name: Italy Underground: 2,000 Years of Buried History in Lecce
Guide Location: Italy » Lecce
Guide Type: Self-guided Walking Tour (Article (B))
Author: Nicla Marinelli
Read it on Author's Website:
Sight(s) Featured in This Guide:
Guide Location: Italy » Lecce
Guide Type: Self-guided Walking Tour (Article (B))
Author: Nicla Marinelli
Read it on Author's Website:
Sight(s) Featured in This Guide:
- Museo Faggiano
- Piazza Sant鈥橭ronzo
- La Cartapesta di Claudio Riso
The Most Popular Cities
/ view all