Veglie: Historical Heritage and Local Culinary Culture

Veglie combines historic religious buildings, a craft-based food culture, and a tour dedicated to local history. Highlights range from the Ex Convento dei Frati Minori and the Chiesa Santa Maria della Pietà to the Cripta della Favana, the underground olive mill at Largo San Vito, and local production sites for wheat products, olive oil, and cheese.

Historic Spaces and Religious Heritage

The Ex Convento dei Frati Minori was built in 1579 over an earlier structure dating from the 14th century. The former convent includes a church and a cloister, whose rear section was remodelled between the 16th and 17th centuries. The portal dates from 1651. Within the complex, the 1651 portal belongs to a later construction phase than the 14th-century predecessor building.

A different historical layer emerges in the Chiesa Santa Maria della Pietà. It was built in the final years of the 14th century by followers of the Greek-Byzantine rite. Its furnishings include a fresco of the “Mater Dolorosa” and the painting “Schiovazione del Signore.” The latter is a copy of a work by the painter Gianserico Strafella, who was from Copertino. The church’s furnishings therefore include both a fresco and a copy of a painting. In the Cripta della Favana, too, the saints depicted belong to Greek and Latin traditions; they represent the cultural interweaving found in many rock settlements across Salento.

The underground olive mill at Largo San Vito also offers a glimpse into the past: it dates from the 16th century and was carved into a block of tuff. Its construction is therefore directly connected with the tuff stone.

A Tour of Local History

The historical exploration includes the “I luoghi delle lotte contadine” tour. It begins in Veglie and ends at Masseria Zanzara in Veglie. From Veglie, the route can be followed by car or bicycle along the Sferracavalli farm track. When planning your visit, you can therefore choose between travelling by car and taking a bicycle tour.

Wheat, Olive Oil, and Cheese

The “The flavour of wheat” wheat route focuses on processing and regional everyday culture. In Veglie, it includes visits to bakeries and biscuit factories, as well as workshops producing fresh pasta. The route connects several craft production sites in Veglie.

The culinary experience also includes the D’Amato olive mill in Veglie, where you can observe the production of extra virgin olive oil firsthand. At D’Amato, the product is presented together with its directly observable production process. Cheesemakers in Veglie produce mozzarella, cheese curds, ricotta, and Caciocavallo.

Veglie’s rural and historical heritage includes 40 farm estates.

More Destinations in the Same Region

If you would like to add more places to your trip, you can find Acquarica Del Capo, Montesano Salentino, Casarano, Casamassella, Neviano, Guagnano, Tricase Porto and Novoli here.

For the overarching travel overview: Lecce.