Valley Life
CEGLIE MESSAPICA
Ceglie Messapica is a town of some 20,000 people that is famous for, among other things, its archaeological remains of the ancient Messapi civilisation. In the centre of the town, the Torre dell’Orologio overlooks the main square, Piazza Plebiscito.
The MAAC, il museo archeologico e di arte contemporane, in Ceglie Messapica displays finds taken from local archeological excavations, some of which date back as far as the 15th century BC.
The well-preserved historical centre lies within medieval walls, with houses built on the foundations of the old city battlements. The main entrance is Porto Monterrone, which has a 6thcentury triangular stone lookout tower, an entrance for carts and a narrow pedestrian entrance.
In the centre of the old town is the Castello Ducale, a former military fortress that later became the palace of the Duke of San Severino. His wife, Aurelia, demanded a church for her own use and so the Collegiata di Santa Maria dell’Assunta was built opposite the palace. But the oldest place of worship is the Chiesa di Sant’Anna, which stands on the site of an 11th-century church.
Wandering onto Corso Garibaldi, I discovered the Caffè Centrale, where they make biscotti cegliese to an original recipe, with almond dough and cherry jam inside. There is a chocolate version and even biscotto cegliese ice cream. I tried the biscuits with Gioia Mia, a saffron, lemon and mint liqueur, which were delicious.
In the historical centre of Ceglie, the houses were traditionally
