Castrum Minervae: the archaeology of Salento conquering the present and abroad
In the enchanting town of Castro lies one of the most extraordinary legacies of Greek and Roman civilization in Italy: the Sanctuary of Minerva, also known as the Athenaion. This legendary site, described by Virgil in the third book of the Aeneid, blends myth and history, culture and spirituality, creating a synergy that recounts centuries of devotion and encounters among Mediterranean peoples. Thanks to archaeological excavations conducted over the last two decades, Castro has regained its prominence as a crossroads of stories, legends, and art, attracting scholars, tourists, and enthusiasts from around the world.
The Connection with Virgil and the Myth of Aeneas
In the Aeneid, Virgil offers a poetic and symbolic depiction of the Sanctuary of Minerva: a temple situated on a promontory, glimpsed by Aeneas and his companions as they seek refuge after the fall of Troy. That promontory, identified by archaeologists as the site of Castro, was not only a guide for sailors but also a spiritual and cultural gateway to Italy. According to the myth, Minerva, the goddess of wisdom and strategy, was venerated here by the Trojans, who saw her as a symbol of hope and renewal.
The port of Castrum Minervae, overlooking the Strait of Otranto, was crucial for maritime routes connecting the Adriatic to the Eastern Mediterranean. This location was not just a landing point but also a crossroads of cultures: from the Greeks to the Messapians and finally the Romans, each civilization left its mark, transforming the sanctuary into a unique center of worship and commerce.
Excavations and Extraordinary Discoveries
The rediscovery of the sanctuary was made possible by archaeological excavations initiated in 2007 under the direction of Professor Francesco D’Andria. These investigations uncovered a treasure trove of invaluable artifacts: fragments of ceramics, votive instruments, altars, and, most notably, monumental statues that confirmed Castro's importance in antiquity.
Among the most fascinating finds is a bronze statuette of Athena, unearthed in the early years of the excavations. This statuette, adorned with a Phrygian helmet, symbolically connects the sanctuary with the Trojan myth. The original Messapian settlement, influenced by the 
Spartan colony of Taranto, likely predated the Roman renaming of the area as Castrum Minervae. The ancient name of Castro, Lik, is corroborated by the so-called Soleto Map, a black-glazed shard featuring the oldest Western geographical map from classical antiquity, now housed in the National Archaeological Museum of Taranto.
However, it was the discovery of a monumental bust of Athena in 2015 that established Castro as an internationally significant archaeological site. Originally standing over three meters tall, the statue was crafted from Lecce stone, a material typical of Salento known for its easy workability and durability.
In addition to these discoveries, fragments of other statues, including marble feet and decorated bases, were found alongside an altar dating to the 4th century BCE, evidencing animal sacrifices made in Minerva’s honor. These artifacts, along with ceremonial tools and ivory objects, tell of intense religious activity spanning centuries.
The Sanctuary of Minerva: A Beacon of Culture and Spirituality
The Sanctuary of Minerva was not only a place of worship but also a symbol of cultural integration. Its strategic position, on a promontory overlooking the sea, made it a landmark for sailors and merchants and a destination for pilgrims from across the Mediterranean. Recognizing its sacred significance, the Romans incorporated the sanctuary into their network of temples, restoring and enriching it with architectural and artistic elements.
The statue of Athena, in particular, is an extraordinary example of Greek art and its influence in Salento. Scholars believe it to be the work of Tarantine sculptors renowned for their expertise in monumental art. The use of Lecce stone also confirms the presence of a highly skilled local network of artisans capable of creating works of great beauty and complexity.
The Museum and the Future of the Archaeological Park
Today, the artifacts unearthed in Castro are preserved in the Archaeological Museum of Castro, housed in the Aragonese Castle. This museum offers visitors a captivating journey through the centuries, showcasing votive artifacts, statue fragments, and a reconstruction of the statue of Athena. In 2019, a replica of the statue was featured in the international exhibition “Gifts of the Gods. L’Apulia Felix between Greeks, Natives, and Romans” in Nanjing, China, earning acclaim and bringing global attention to Salento.
The site’s future is equally promising. With regional and national funding, the archaeological park in Castro will soon be accessible to the public. Visitors will be able to walk among the ruins of the sanctuary and immerse themselves in its history, guided by multimedia paths and virtual reconstructions that recount the sanctuary’s life during the Greek and Roman periods.
A Heritage to Discover and Preserve
The Sanctuary of Minerva in Castro serves as a window to the past, a place where myth and reality converge to narrate Salento's history as a crossroads of cultures, religions, and peoples. Thanks to the relentless work of archaeologists and institutional support, this site continues to yield discoveries and inspire new research. Visiting Castro today means embarking on a timeless journey, rediscovering the roots of a land that has always stood as a bridge between East and West.
The Stones Tell: The Dry Stone Walls of Salento, History and Resilience in the Landscape
Dry stone walls, characteristic of the Salento landscape, represent a tradition that has its roots in ancient times. These structures, built without the use of mortar, are an extraordinary example of rural architecture, a symbol of a past rich in history and culture. In this article we will explore the origins, evolution and current use of dry stone walls in Salento.
The first evidence of dry stone walls in Salento dates back to pre-Roman times, and the walls of this period have a structure of square blocks placed horizontally.
The local populations, the Messapians, began to use them to protect their crops from grazing, to mark the border between one property and another, as a small enclosure for animals (ncurtaturi), or they built them along the coast to protect crops from atmospheric agents.
The construction techniques were handed down from generation to generation, improving and adapting over time, and a real "craft" was born, handed down from father to son, the so-called "paritaru" ("parite" in Salento dialect means wall).
Currently the most significant evidence of these ancient walls is found in northern Salento, in the "Archaeological Park of the Messapian Walls", which extends for 150,000 m² to the north-east of the municipality of Manduria. Inside, large sections of the triple circle of walls that surrounded the city in the Messapian era are preserved.
During the Roman period, the practice of building dry stone walls became more widespread. Following the example of the civilizations that preceded them, the Romans adopted more than one dry stone construction technique (opus, in Latin), but the most widespread in Salento is the polygonal work (opus siliceum). The construction technique involves the composition of a rock bank arranged in two parallel rows of large stones, then two more rows of smaller stones converging upwards are added and the empty spaces are filled with other thinner material. The rows are then tied together with other larger stone slabs, this time inserted edgewise. In this case too, the spaces are filled with material. To finish everything off, the remaining cracks in the facades are closed by inserting stone chips. The Romans, expert engineers, recognized the effectiveness of these structures in containing the land and in delimiting agricultural areas.
In the Middle Ages, dry stone walls continued to be used mainly for the creation of terraces on hilly terrain, to prevent soil erosion and facilitate cultivation, and also to build rainwater channeling systems, improving the irrigation of fields. These structures were also very useful in animal breeding, and the projecting walls, in addition to enclosing their courtyards, were insurmountable by wolves, foxes and cattle herders, as well as ensuring the possibility of saving on labor for the care of animals, raising them in a semi-wild state.
During the Renaissance, a period of great expansion and innovation in many sectors, agriculture also underwent significant changes. This era, characterized by the rediscovery of antiquity and a growing interest in science and technology, profoundly influenced the way in which agricultural landscapes were managed and structured. In Salento, dry stone walls became even more widespread and vital to the agricultural economy, responding to new production and environmental needs. With the expansion of agriculture and the increase in production needs, these structures proved essential not only for the delimitation of land and the control of soil erosion, but also for harmonious integration into the rural landscape.
The twentieth century saw a partial abandonment of dry stone walls, due to the mechanization of agriculture and increasing urbanization. With the introduction of modern agricultural machinery, the way in which the land was cultivated changed radically, as heavy machinery required large and obstacle-free spaces to function effectively, and therefore many dry stone walls were knocked down or destroyed. This change also led to a loss of traditional cultivation techniques and the knowledge associated with the construction and maintenance of dry stone walls.
The increasing urban development and the expansion of residential and industrial areas also significantly affected the landscape of Salento, because with urban expansion rural areas were often converted into urban or residential areas, leading to the demolition of dry stone walls to make room for new buildings. Furthermore, many dry stone walls remained abandoned and in a state of decay, as rural communities moved to cities and peri-urban areas.
In the last decades of the twentieth century there was a change of trend, and there was a growing recognition of the cultural and landscape importance of dry stone walls. Historians, archaeologists and environmentalists began to highlight their historical and cultural value as an integral part of the rural heritage of Salento. Furthermore, people began to understand how much dry stone walls contribute to the beauty and uniqueness of the Salento landscape, offering a distinctive element that enriches the view and understanding of the territory.
All this has led, nowadays, to a renewed interest in their conservation, with significant consequences. Today, in fact, the dry stone walls of Salento are recognized as a cultural heritage of great value. In 2018, the art of dry stone walls was inscribed on the UNESCO list of intangible cultural heritage, a recognition that has given new life to conservation and restoration efforts. Traditional techniques are now taught to new generations, ensuring the continuity of this ancient art.
Furthermore, dry stone walls are increasingly appreciated for their positive environmental impact. In addition to preventing soil erosion, they promote biodiversity, offering refuge to numerous species of flora and fauna, a true "ecological corridor" that allows the transmission of a microfauna rich in insects, reptiles and amphibians that operate spontaneously, in synergy with human agriculture, to maintain a healthy and parasite-free environment. The interstices become their home and hiding place. The dry stone walls, with the spontaneous vegetation that grows between the stones or close to the walls themselves, constitute an important ecosystem. In their correspondence a particular microclimate is created, favorable to Mediterranean plants that can thus, thanks to the greater availability of water, overcome the summer crisis.
In particular, with regard to this last aspect, the project “L’Orto dei Tu’rat" – Storia di un’acqua spremuta dalla pietra” is worthy of note, part of the cultural/agricultural/ecological park in Ugento (Lecce). “L’Orto dei Tu’rat currently extends over an area of 16,000 m2, and is a type of barrier/drainage of very ancient origins, dating back to about 9,000 years ago and adopted in the Middle East. Since 2008, an apparently banal construction, modeled with dry stone in the shape of a crescent and arranged in such a way as to capture the humid south-west winds in its concave part, has caused the water contained in them to condense on its sloping surface. For the agricultural populations of the Mediterranean areas characterized by desert climates, with significant temperature variations from day to night, it was an effective irrigation system for the vegetation grown immediately at its feet. It is an excellent example of bioclimatic architecture, which exploits passive phenomena, avoiding the waste of non-renewable energy.
Even in the tourism sector, dry stone walls play a crucial role in preserving the authenticity and charm of the Salento landscape, acting as a magnet for visitors looking for a genuine experience. These ancient structures, which dot the territory with their rustic elegance, offer a glimpse of local tradition and culture, attracting tourists eager to explore and appreciate the pristine beauty and rich history of the region. Dry stone walls not only visually enrich the landscape, but also evoke a sense of continuity and connection with the historical roots of Salento, making each visit a journey through time and an immersion in the authentic culture of the territory.
The dry stone walls in Salento are much more than simple stone structures; they represent an authentic symbol of resilience, ingenuity and creativity of local communities. These structures, born from the expert hands of artisans who worked
with stones collected from the fields, are witnesses to a thousand-year-old tradition that has been able to adapt and thrive through centuries of historical and social transformations. From their ancient origins, when they served to delimit the land and manage natural resources, to the present day, dry stone walls have been able to maintain their function and their charm intact. Each stone, laid with care and precision, tells a story of adaptation and harmony with the environment, reflecting the ability of local populations to respond to the challenges of time without compromising their essence.
"Ogni petra azza parite" (every stone contributes to building a wall), or "Every stone has its own story", is a Salento expression that encompasses the essence and profound meaning of stone structures. This dialect phrase, steeped in popular wisdom, does not limit itself to describing a material aspect, but evokes a deeper connection between the stones and the stories they tell.
Today, as in the past, these walls continue to be much more than simple elements of the landscape: they are custodians of the historical memory and culture of Salento, uniting the past with the present and contributing significantly to the preservation of the identity and beauty of a unique territory. Their silent but powerful presence enriches the landscape, transforming it into a stage where history, culture and nature intertwine in a fascinating tale of resilience and continuity