Ugento

Ugento ( Uscentu in the local dialect ) is a Southern Italian municipality ( comune ) with 12,057 inhabitants (as of 31 December 2012) in the province of Lecce in Puglia. The municipality is located in southern Salento about 47.5 kilometers south of Lecce on the Mediterranean, at the junction of the Gulf of Taranto on the Ionian Sea.

History

Ugento may be identical to a place that was known in ancient times as Uxentum or Ozan. In the eighth book of the Aeneid Uxentum is mentioned, said to have been founded by Uxens. It was a settlement of Messapians. Another hypothesis suggests a place called Ausentum. Until 1020, the area was under Byzantine rule, when the Normans conquered the area. In 1537 the city was destroyed by the Saracens.

Traffic

The (small ) port in the municipality is located in the district of Torre San Giovanni. Umquert is the main town of the same name from the Strada Statale 274 SALENTINA Meridional. The Ferrovie del Sud Est served by its trains, the railway station of Ugento and Taurisano on the route from Novoli after Gagliano dal Capo.

Attractions

  • Cripta of the Crucifix: small crypt with frescoes about 1 km outside
  • Chiesa di Santa Maria di Costantino Poli: directly adjacent to the crypt
  • Museo di Archeologia: finds from prehistoric, Pan-Hellenic ( Magna Graecia ) (eg grave of athletes statue of Zeus ) and Roman times
  • Collezione Adolfo Colosso (about 50 meters from the Archaeological Museum )

For the museums or attractions mentioned above can be solved separate tickets or a discount combo ticket.

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