Giardinetto Vecchio – archaeological village and rural heritage
Archaeological history in a rural setting
Giardinetto Vecchio is designated as an archaeological village in Orsara di Puglia. Its history includes an Archaic phase from the 7th–6th century BC and a Classical phase from the 5th–4th century BC. The site therefore combines a concrete historical dimension with a landscape shaped by agriculture and open spaces.
Plain along the Cervaro Stream
The Giardinetto Vecchio area lies on a gently rolling plain at the outlet of the Cervaro Stream valley, at about 300 m above sea level. Around 70 percent of the local plain is covered by agricultural land used to grow cereals and fodder crops.
Traces from several periods
At LocalitĂ Giardinetto near Orsara di Puglia, evidence of activity dating from the Middle Neolithic was identified on the left bank of the Cervaro Stream. In the wider LocalitĂ Giardinetto, early layers containing Palma Campania-type pottery have also been documented.
Borgo Giardinetto and its architecture
Borgo Giardinetto was planned in 1939 as a small rural village as part of the land-reclamation works in Capitanata, based on a design by the architect Marino Lopopolo. Borgo Giardinetto is laid out around a central square, around which the buildings are grouped. The porticoes that connect the school building with the church in Borgo Giardinetto strongly recall Roman aqueducts in their proportions and geometry.
The built heritage also includes the former ONC rural village “Case del Fascio” in Località Giardinetto near Orsara di Puglia. It is associated with architectural heritage protection under Article 12 of Legislative Decree 42/2004; the review requested by application took place on 27 March 2018. During the Second World War, Borgo Giardinetto served as a storage site selected by American troops. A historic road section in the Orsara area, which joined the route between Aece and Ausculum at B.go Giardinetto, is known as the “ancient Via Herculea”.
Cycling, trails and days outdoors
The “Orsara di Puglia – Cervaro Stream loop” cycling route begins in Giardinetto Vecchio. In the Orsara di Puglia area, Bosco Acquara also offers a nature-rich setting with a gently winding linear trail for outings and days outdoors.
Regional cuisine and asparagus tradition
The traditional cuisine of Orsara di Puglia includes bread, wine, extra virgin olive oil, asparagus, honey and cacioricotta. An asparagus festival is scheduled in Borgo Giardinetto for the second Sunday in June. Orsara di Puglia is also home to a still-active oven described as the oldest straw-fired oven in Apulia, where bread has been baked since 1526.
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