Discover Tuglie: Palazzo, Olive Mill and Cultural Heritage

When searching for hotels in Tuglie, it helps to understand the town through its cultural history. The Palazzo Ducale, underground olive mill, Radio Museum, churches and memorial sites each offer a different focus. Together, they span everything from farming traditions to the history of radio and technology.

The Palazzo Ducale and Farming Traditions

The Palazzo Ducale was built in the early 17th century as the residence of the Venturi dukes. The palace houses the Museum of Salento Farming Civilisation and Folk Traditions. This brings together the history of a ducal residence and the culture of rural ways of life in one building.

On the edge of the historic centre lies an underground olive mill dating from the late 17th century. It is considered a distinctive testament to the farming civilisation of Salento. The dates place the palace and the olive mill in different periods of the same century: the palace was built earlier, and the olive mill towards the end of it.

Museums, Radio and Olive Oil Production

A visit to the Museo della Radio Tuglie takes you from the museum’s main room to the study room with the “Marconi” Library and then to the underground olive mill. A knowledgeable guide presents radio equipment, sounds, instruments and mechanisms; the instruments and mechanisms are set in motion for visitors. The tour connects the museum rooms with a further glimpse into local history.

During a visit to the Frantoio Ipogeo, you can follow the different stages of olive oil production. These include the “torchio alla calabrese” press, introduced in Terra d’Otranto in the 17th century, as well as hydraulic presses from the 20th century. The sequence brings the changes in the presses used over time to life. The Frantoio Ipogeo also offers visitors immersive, multisensory workshops.

Churches and Memorial Sites

The historic roots of the town lie in Santa Lucia, the oldest part of the historic centre. The history of the Chiesa Matrice, dedicated to Madonna dell’Annunziata, includes a tradition: a small chapel is said to have stood on its site. It was reportedly built where a stone niche containing an image of the Holy Souls had previously stood.

The Chiesa delle Anime opened for worship in 1883. It contains an altar dedicated to Madonna del Carmelo and a papier-mâché statue. The Chiesa della B.V.M. di Monte Grappa has a different architectural form: its floor plan is circular, and its domed vault follows the model of the church at the Sacrario di Bassano sul Monte Grappa. Construction was completed in 1940; the church opened for worship in 1941. In 1948, the Parco della Rimembranza, a war shrine and a staircase with Stations of the Cross were created around it.

The Monumento ai Caduti in guerra also commemorates Tuglie’s history. The obelisk bears four bronze plaques listing the names of 97 fallen soldiers from Tuglie in the 1915–1918 war. On its front, a bronze statue of the goddess of victory lays down a laurel wreath. The sculptor Antonio Bortone, from Ruffano, was commissioned to create the monument.

Historical Traditions and Sites in the Surrounding Area

The historic festival tradition of Maria SS. Annunziata included “lu core te cupeta”, a heart-shaped treat made from caramelised sugar and almonds. Some of the customs of that time are no longer practised today. Remembering them adds a glimpse of earlier festival traditions to the architectural history.

The Passaturi Cave, also known as Case vecchie, lies near Tuglie’s primary schools. Some researchers describe it as a possible dwelling of the ancient people of the Tulli; this remains a possibility, not a confirmed attribution. The surrounding countryside also contains several menhirs: Menhir Caruggio stands along Via Vicinale del Caruggio, and Menhir Scirocco is on the Scirocco estate. Menhir Monte Prino stands protected on the grounds of a private villa.

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