Melpignano is located in the heart of Grecìa Salentina, 26km from Lecce and inscribed in both the Borghi Autentici d’Italia (Authentic Hamlets of Italy) and the Comuni Virtuosi (Virtuous Municipalities). During the Night of the Taranta in August, the hamlet throngs with over one hundred thousand visitors. The event, which is unique in Southern Italy, takes place in the square outside the Convento degli Agostiniani, built between 1573 and 1662, in Baroque style with columns, volutes and cherubs. In the nearby historical centre, the Palazzo Marchesale De Luca, a palace built in 1636 by Giorgio Castriota-Scanderberg, stands on via Roma with a stunning garden, a small green oasis belonging to the nobles of the past. The real surprise stands at the end of via Roma, where the unusual Piazza San Giorgio boasts a 16th century colonnade built to house the flourishing weekly market with traders’ stalls made of limestone. The small Church of Our Lady of the Annunciation and the Mother Church, dedicated to the patron St. George, add a solemn atmosphere to this commercial area.
Apulia Film Commission
Cineporti di Puglia/Bari — c/o Fiera del Levante - Lungomare Starita 1 — 70132 Bari
Phone: +39 080 9752900
Fax: +39 080 9147464
Email: email@apuliafilmcommission.it
