Spongano: Churches, Menhir and Dolmen

Spongano brings together sacred architectural history and archaeological monuments. Its sights range from churches and a palazzo to Menhir Osanna and Dolmen Piedi Grandi. They showcase a variety of forms and functions: a nave extended in the 19th century, a dolmen built from slabs, and an ancient monolith converted into a votive column. This lets you tailor your selection to specific architectural and historical interests.

Churches and architectural history

The Chiesa Madre di San Giorgio was built in the second half of the 18th century. It originally had a single-nave layout; the two side aisles were added only around the middle of the 19th century. The apse is polygonal and decorated with stucco. Palazzo Bacile di Castiglione dates from the 16th century. The Cappella dell’Immacolata, commonly known as the “Congrega”, was completed in 1636. The chapel contains a canvas painting from 1653 depicting the Assumption of Mary. The Cappella Sant’Antonio was built in 1747 as the family chapel of the Barons Bacile.

Menhir, clock tower and Calvario

Menhir Osanna is an ancient monolith that was converted into a votive column in 1607. According to local tradition, on Palm Sunday the palm branches carried in the procession are laid at the foot of the menhir. This monument thus brings together a historical transformation and a local custom. The clock tower of Spongano was built in 1768 as a Sedile. A Sedile was a meeting place where community representatives discussed public affairs. The clock tower is late Baroque. Unlike the chapels, its former use points to civic deliberation. Calvario consists of a chapel, a dome and a small structure crowned by an iron cross.

Dolmen Piedi Grandi: location and structure

Dolmen Piedi Grandi is located on the Strada vicinale Pastine side road. This joins the Spongano–Montesano municipal road; the dolmen is about 100 metres northwest of the entrance to this municipal road. Its structure consists of two rectangular upright side slabs, one of which has a hole, and a square top slab. The side slabs are 70 centimetres high; the top slab is on average 110 to 120 centimetres wide. The difference from Menhir Osanna is clear from the shape alone: here, several slabs support the dolmen, whereas Osanna is a single monolith.

Historic centre and rural surroundings

Piazza Umberto I provides access to the historic centre of Spongano, where you can see courtyard houses, churches and palaces of the nobility. This broadens the focus from individual, dated buildings to several types of buildings in the historic centre. Spongano is surrounded by centuries-old olive groves and dry-stone walls. This rural landscape offers a different focus from the buildings in the town. When planning your trip, you can therefore weigh up a focus on architectural history against the rural surroundings.

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Go to the overview of destinations: Lecce.