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Minervino di Lecce
Encyclopedia
Minervino di Lecce is a town and comune
in the province of Lecce, Apulia
, south-eastern Italy
. It is situated in the eastern part of the Salento
peninsula about 43 km from Lecce, not far from Otranto
.
The Dolmen
Li Scusi, in the town's countryside towards Uggiano La Chiesa
, is the largest dolmen in Apulia after that of Bisceglie
. The frazione of Cocumola is home to numerous Messapic granarys (locally known as fogge) and several menhir
s.
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, 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...
, south-eastern 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...
. It is situated in the eastern part of the Salento
Salento
Salento is the south-eastern extremity of the Apulia region of Italy. It is a sub-peninsula of the main Italian Peninsula, sometimes described as the "heel" of the Italian "boot"...
peninsula about 43 km from Lecce, not far from 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...
.
Main sights
- Mother church (mid-16th century), one of the most refined RenaissanceRenaissance architectureRenaissance architecture is the architecture of the period between the early 15th and early 17th centuries in different regions of Europe, demonstrating a conscious revival and development of certain elements of ancient Greek and Roman thought and material culture. Stylistically, Renaissance...
churches in the Salento. It has carved portals, a richly decorated and wide rose windowRose windowA Rose window is often used as a generic term applied to a circular window, but is especially used for those found in churches of the Gothic architectural style and being divided into segments by stone mullions and tracery...
, large bronze bell and a decorated apse in local stone. One of the portal has a large statue of St. Michael Archangel. - Church of Madonna delle Grazie
- Convent of St. Anthony (1624)
The 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...
Li Scusi, in the town's countryside towards Uggiano La Chiesa
Uggiano la Chiesa
Uggiano la Chiesa is a town and comune in the province of Lecce in the Apulia region of south-east Italy.-Main sights:*Mother Church, finished in 1775.*Tower of the Angel*Crypt of St...
, is the largest dolmen in Apulia after that of Bisceglie
Bisceglie
Bisceglie is a town and comune on the Adriatic Sea, with a population of c. 54,000, in the province of Barletta-Andria-Trani, Apulia , southern Italy....
. The frazione of Cocumola is home to numerous Messapic granarys (locally known as fogge) and several 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.