Archaeological site of Valesio

A few kilometres away from Torchiarolo, near Cerano forest, the ruins of the ancient Valesio appear, a Messapic and Roman centre completely destroyed  in 1157 by William I. It is one of the most important archaeological site in the province, at the second place after Egnazia.

The most ancient evidence, dating back to the Iron Age, has been found  along the banks of the river called Canale ‘Nfocaciucci: painted pottery, dating back to the 8th century BC, and ruins of a Messapic hut located under the Roman thermal baths.

The thermal complex, built around the 4th century, used to have the frigidarium, the tepidarium and the calidarium, a gym and latrines. Some rooms were decorated with mosaic floors and covered with marble.  On the ruins of the ancient thermal baths, the monks from Lecce built a church dedicated to Santo Stefano, from whom the name of the contrada comes from.

Inside the city walls there are also a necropolis, the masseria grande (big farmstead) and the “pajara”, a dry-stone building, typical of the Salentinian rural architecture.