The GAL (Local Action Group) in Italy supports operators and local administrations to reflect on the potential of the territory in a long-term perspective, through the promotion and implementation of integrated sustainable development strategies regarding the experimentation of new forms of valorization of the natural and cultural heritage and to strengthen the local economy in order to create jobs and improve the organizational capacity of the respective communities. All this is called a Local Development Strategy (SSL), which also offers many opportunities to local agricultural companies.
The Gal Terra d’Arneo extends from the Ionian coast to the hinterland of the Salento peninsula. The coastal municipalities – Porto Cesareo, Nardò, Galatone, Gallipoli – are beneficiaries of the EMF fund, the (European Maritime and Fisheries Fund).
The goals of Terra d’Arneo are being led by GAL President Cosimo Durante, and they are to:
• Relaunch the local economy through rural tourism.
• Reduce territorial imbalances between inland areas and the coast.
• Intervene in youth and female unemployment.
• Enhance the typical productions of the territory.
• Reorganize the offering of services.
• Protect the territory’s heritage.
Salento, between land and sea
The legendary Terra d’Arneo, a vast and varied territory where the spontaneous vegetation of the Mediterranean scrub alternates with oak and Aleppo pine forests presents a countryside rich in vineyards and olive groves. It is dotted with dry stone walls, pajare, (rudimentary stone hatts), centuries-old farmhouses, and noble villas adorned with gardens along the coast canals and dunes that lead to a crystalline sea.
Nardò, Salice Salentino, Copertino, Leverano, and Veglie, located northwest of the territory of the Salento peninsula, are part of the 12 municipalities of the Terra d’Arneo, a term that derives from the Messapic Arnissa.
It is indicated by a marshy depression, where the peasant revolts of the past and the agrarian reform began, a place dear to the Salento imagination, today a place of excellence for modern and still sustainable tourism.
In these lands, there were once stone mills and ancient oil mills whose presence, although rare, still today tells of the respect and dedication of the people of Salento for their land.
Arneo, of caves and grottos
An ancient bond that finds its roots in the abundance of water, in the fertility of the soil, and in the structure of the coast, the land of Arneo is rich in inlets and cavities that favored the settlement of primitive populations and the landing of peoples from other regions of the Mediterranean.
The numerous Paleolithic finds in the cave system of the Uluzzo Bay in the Porto Selvaggio Park, which leads back to the origins of humanity, bear witness and clear proof of this ancient origin. It is from this place that the so-called Uluzzian Ancient Upper Paleolithic culture developed 34,000-31,000 years ago in Puglia (Grotta del Cavallo deposit in Baia di Uluzzo, in Salento) during the phase of human evolution from which it takes its name.
The Grotta del Cavallo (the grotto of the horse) is famous and defined as the “cathedral of prehistory.” Here, the finds in the Boncore district and the Serra Cicora relief also refer to the Neolithic, while the archaeological site of Scalo di Furno dates to the Bronze Age, where votive statuettes are dedicated to the cult of the goddess Thana which were found.
Nardò, Masseria Santa Chiara in the heart of Arneo
The Municipalities of Arneo have their most important heritage in their historic centers, made up of typically Mediterranean houses, churches, and baroque palaces that overlook narrow streets, often invaded by scents that evoke ancient culinary traditions.
The undisputed capital of the Terra d’Arneo is Nardò, the ancient Neretum, rich in history and traditions, one of the most baroque cities of Salento, as can be seen from its magnificent historic center. The territory of Nardò is part of the regional natural park of Porto Selvaggio.
Its countryside is an important part of the Terre d’Arneo, as indicated by the numerous 14th-16th century farms that are scattered there. The territory of Nardò is also part of the Serre Salentine and its countryside reaches up to the rocky reliefs that slope down towards some of the most renowned seaside resorts of Salento, such as Santa Maria al Bagno, Santa Caterina, and Sant’Isidoro.
Porto Cesareo, with its enchanting beaches of fine sand, is home to the Porto Cesareo maritime natural area and the Palude (swamp) del Conte and coastal dune nature reserve. Its long coastline, mainly sandy, features coastal dunes, wetlands, rocks, and islets, including the Isola Grande or Isola dei Conigli (the rabbits Island) and the Island of Malva.
On the sandy seabed in front of Torre Chianca, 5 Roman columns of cipollino marble from the 2nd century AD were found in 1960. Along the coast, there are 4 16th century defense towers.
Porto Cesareo hosts 2 important museums linked to the sea – the Museum of Marine Biology and the Thalassographic Museum, an important archaeological site.
Competing in terms of tourism on the marine front is Bahia Porto Cesareo.
This is a high-level structure comparable to the best Italian and also European marine bathing facilities. Personalized services at the beach and cabanes are tended to by qualified staff, haute cuisine, and wines from major brands. Patron Luca Mangialardo shared, “During the winter closures, the staff are transferred to Africa to support the needy.”
Copertino, interior of the Angevin Castle
Copertino is a large agricultural center in the Arneo, full of farms scattered across its flat and fertile countryside. The town is known for being the birthplace of San Giuseppe da Copertino, the saint of flights which students built in 1753.
The imposing Copertino Castle, completed in 1540, incorporates a Norman-era fortress, later expanded by the Angevins. Declared a national monument in 1886, it has been subject to protection regulations since 1955.
Leverano, Frederick Tower
Floriculture is flourishing in the municipality of Leverano. Its urban center is dominated by the Federiciana Tower, which rises approximately 28 meters, commissioned by Frederick II of Swabia in 1220 to monitor the nearby Ionian coast threatened by pirate incursions. It has been a national monument since 1870 located not far from the municipality of Veglie and is very active in the wine and olive oil industry. Interesting in this municipality is a visit to the Crypt of the Madonna of Favana dating back to the 9th-11th century, whose name is linked to the disease of favism which was once very widespread in this area. Its territory includes the abandoned village of Monteruga, a failed attempt at agrarian reform in the Torre Lapillo–San Pancrazio provincial area.
The center of Avetrana is located equidistant from the 3 provincial capitals of Lecce, Brindisi, and Taranto. In the historic center, there is the Torrione, the remains of a Norman castle from the 14th century. To the south of the Marina farm, the remains of a village and a burial area dating back to the Neolithic were found. Remains were also recently found of a Roman rustic villa in the locality of San Francesco.
Along the coast of the Terre d’Arneo are some of the most beautiful sandy beaches in the Salento Adriatic, from San Pietro in Bevagna to Gallipoli. In the south of Salento, hidden beauties emerge that bewitch the tourist and take him back in time, a kaleidoscope of treasures that shines with a rare charm between the Ionian and Adriatic seas and hidden coves with glimpses of landscape that the harmonies of light and shadows make magical. There are many other fascinating hidden beauties of the Bronze Age and ancient frescoes such as that of Christ Pantocrates holding the tables of the law, along with Greek inscriptions.
Terra d’Arneo today is a land of hotel and agritourism hospitality and is a destination for important religious pilgrimages, especially in Cupertino which is the sanctuary of San Giuseppe. Today’s agricultural development has led to the emergence of wine production whose fame has spread throughout the world. The promoter of this nectar abroad was the Leone De Castris winery of Salice Salentino, with its Four Roses brand. Another wine producer is The Castello Monaci Resort, a majestic structure immersed in the Salice Salentino countryside and a renowned setting for receptions and weddings. And last, in chronological order, the Cantina Moros, an example of virtuous entrepreneurship, which has been rewarded for the quality of its product.