Maglie is a town and comune

Comune

In Italy, the comune is the basic administrative division, and may be properly approximated in casual speech by the English word township or municipality.-Importance and function:...

in the province of Lecce

Province of Lecce

The Province of Lecce is a province in the Apulia region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Lecce. Totally included in the Salento peninsula, it is the second most populous province in Apulia and the twenty-first most populous in Italy....

 in the Apulia

Apulia

Apulia is a region in Southern Italy bordering the Adriatic Sea in the east, the Ionian Sea to the southeast, and the Strait of Òtranto and Gulf of Taranto in the south. Its most southern portion, known as Salento peninsula, forms a high heel on the "boot" of Italy. The region comprises , and...

 region of south-east Italy

Italy

Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

.

History

The Maglie area was settled as early as the Bronze Age

Bronze Age

The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...

 and the early Iron Age

Iron Age

The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...

, and before, as testified by the presence of archaic dolmen

Dolmen

A dolmen—also known as a portal tomb, portal grave, dolmain , cromlech , anta , Hünengrab/Hünenbett , Adamra , Ispun , Hunebed , dös , goindol or quoit—is a type of single-chamber megalithic tomb, usually consisting of...

s and menhir

Menhir

A menhir is a large upright standing stone. Menhirs may be found singly as monoliths, or as part of a group of similar stones. Their size can vary considerably; but their shape is generally uneven and squared, often tapering towards the top...

s, and by the Cattìe site, discovered in 1980, and featuring 12,000 tools and 800 bone remains.

Maglie, initially a countriside casale, developed around the castle built in the 13th century, probably under the Angevine

Capetian House of Anjou

The Capetian House of Anjou, also known as the House of Anjou-Sicily and House of Anjou-Naples, was a royal house and cadet branch of the direct House of Capet. Founded by Charles I of Sicily, a son of Louis VIII of France, the Capetian king first ruled the Kingdom of Sicily during the 13th century...

 kings of Naples and later renewed by Andriolo Lubello, the local baron under king Alfonso I of Aragon.

Main sights

• Duomo (Cathedral, also called Chiesa Collegiata). It was built in the late 18th century on the site of two previous buildings tracing back to 14th and 16th century. Its bell tower (1686-1690), standing at c. 48 m, is the tallest in the province. The four upper storeys are attributed to Giuseppe Zimbalo
  Giuseppe Zimbalo
  Giuseppe Zimbalo was an Italian architect and sculptor.Known as the Zingarello , he was one of the most prominent artists in the so-called Baroque of Lecce, his hometown in southern Italy...
  
  .
• Church of Madonna delle Grazie, in Baroque style (early 16th century). The interior has a 1645 Baroque altar and 17th century canvasses. It also features a column, similar to the Lecce's Column of St. Oronzo by Zimbalo, built in 1684-1687.
• Church of Madonna Addolorata (18th century)
• Palazzo Baronale

Economy

Maglie's economy is based on commerce, craftmanship (especially of local stone), and tourism.

Transportation

Maglie is served by the Ferrovie Sud Est Zollino

Zollino

Zollino is a small town and comune of 2,194 inhabitants in the province of Lecce in Apulia, Italy. It is one of the nine towns of Grecìa Salentina, which still keeps Greek language and traditions.-History:...

-Gagliano

Gagliano del Capo

Gagliano del Capo is a town and comune in the Italian province of Lecce in the Apulia region of south-east Italy.-Main sights:*Palazzo Ciardo *Mother Church, built in 1574*Church of St. Francis of Paola- External Links :...

 and Maglie-Otranto

Otranto

Otranto is a town and comune in the province of Lecce , in a fertile region once famous for its breed of horses.It is located on the east coast of the Salento peninsula. The Strait of Otranto, to which the city gives its name, connects the Adriatic Sea with the Ionian Sea and Italy with Albania...

 lines.

It is crossed by two state roads, the SS16 Adriatica Lecce-Maglie-Otranto, and the SS275 from Santa Maria di Leuca

Santa Maria di Leuca

Santa Maria di Leuca, often spelled simply Leuca, is a frazione of the comune of Castrignano del Capo, in the province of Lecce , southern Italy.A part of the town once belonged to the comune of Gagliano del Capo.- Description :...

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