Holiday apartment in Tuglie – Discover history, museums and menhirs

Tuglie combines distinctive evidence of Salento’s history with museums, religious buildings, festival traditions and traces in stone amid the rural surroundings. For you, this creates a destination where culture is conveyed not only through grand buildings: an underground olive mill, historic radio technology, heart-shaped festive sweets and several menhirs offer entirely different ways of exploring the town’s history.

Historic sites between the town centre and tradition

The Santa Lucia district is the oldest part of Tuglie’s historic centre. Notable buildings include the Palazzo Ducale, the residence of the Venturi dukes, which was built in the early 1600s. The Palazzo Ducale houses the Museum of the Rural Civilisation and Folk Traditions of Salento. The Chiesa Matrice, dedicated to the Madonna dell’Annunziata, also has a complex history: according to tradition, it stands on the site of an earlier small chapel that was built where a stone niche containing an image of the Holy Souls had previously stood.

At the edge of the historic centre lies the underground olive mill, which dates from the late 17th century and is considered an important testimony to the rural civilisation of Salento. A visit to the Museo della Radio Tuglie takes you from the main room through the study room with the “Marconi” library to the underground olive mill. In the Frantoio Ipogeo, you can follow the various stages of olive-oil production – from the torchio alla calabrese press introduced in Terra d’Otranto in the 17th century to the hydraulic presses of the 20th century. Hands-on and multisensory workshops complement this subject.

Radio, churches and religious festivals

The Museo della Radio Tuglie focuses on an engaging encounter with technology: during a guided tour by an expert, you can see radios, sounds, instruments and mechanisms; the instruments and mechanisms are operated for visitors. Alongside the agricultural past, this places the history of listening, tinkering and technical demonstrations at the centre of attention.

The Chiesa delle Anime was opened for worship in 1883. It contains an altar dedicated to the Madonna del Carmelo and a papier-mâché statue. The Chiesa della B.V.M. di Monte Grappa has a circular floor plan and a domed vault modelled on the church in the Sacrario di Bassano sul Monte Grappa. Construction work was completed in 1940, and the church was opened for worship in 1941. Around the church, the Parco della Rimembranza, a war shrine and a staircase with the Stations of the Cross were created in 1948.

The festive days also give the town’s history its own rhythm. On 23 March, the historic centre of Tuglie celebrates the patronal feast of Maria Santissima Annunziata. A traditional sweet associated with this festival was “lu core te cupeta”, a heart-shaped treat made from caramelised sugar and almonds. The feast of the Beata Vergine del Grappa takes place on 4 August and marks the end of Tuglie’s summer religious festivals.

Menhirs and places of remembrance

The Monumento ai Caduti in guerra brings together memories of the war of 1915 to 1918: the monument is an obelisk with four bronze plaques bearing the names of 97 fallen soldiers from Tuglie. On the front is a bronze statue of the goddess of victory laying down a laurel wreath. The execution of the monument was entrusted to the sculptor Antonio Bortone, who came from Ruffano.

The menhirs offer another perspective on the surrounding area. The Menhir Caruggio stands along the Via Vicinale del Caruggio, while the Menhir Scirocco is located on the Scirocco estate. The Menhir Monte Prino stands protected on the grounds of a private villa. Near Tuglie’s primary schools there is also the Passaturi Cave, also known as Case vecchie. Some researchers consider it a possible dwelling place of the ancient Tulli people.

Which holiday apartment in Tuglie suits your plans

When choosing a holiday apartment in Tuglie, you can use your preferred experiences as your starting point. Those who appreciate historic buildings, museums and religious art will find plenty of specific themes for planning each day in the Palazzo Ducale, Santa Lucia, the churches and the places of remembrance. If you are more interested in rural heritage and the history of olive-oil production, the menhirs, Passaturi Cave and the Frantoio Ipogeo come into focus. This allows you to choose the right accommodation primarily according to the focus you want for your stay, without reducing Tuglie to just one attraction.

More places to include in your travel plans: Marina Di Andrano, Gemini, Specchia, Frigole, Alessano, Alliste, Leverano, Novoli.

For the higher-level travel overview: Lecce.