Manduria: from the Messapian civilization to the wild and uncontaminated nature

Manduria is a Salento city in the province of Taranto that extends between vineyards and olive groves, the wealth on which its economy and notoriety are based. It is closely connected with the Messapian Greek civilization, which has left tangible testimonies and beauties. The cathedral, or Mother Church, is one of the few examples of Renaissance architecture in the region. It was built in 1500 on an ancient Norman church of which the bell tower was preserved and houses various paintings and valuable works. Among the natural areas of considerable interest, the Oriented Regional Nature Reserve of the Eastern Tarantino is worth a visit, which includes various natural areas of the area. Two macro-areas located in the hamlets of Torre Colimena and San Pietro in Bevagna: - Salina dei Monaci and dunes of Torre Colimena, an excellent place for birdwatching, is also a resting area for pink flamingos. It is located in the hamlet of Torre Colimena and has been a place of extraction of sea salt since 1731. Subsequently there have been years of abandonment and decay, up to the reclamation. Today it is still possible to admire the tower that was used to defend the place where the 'white gold' was extracted; - Palude del Conte and coastal dune (still in the hamlet of Torre Colimena), which is a rather lonely and difficult to access landscape formed by high sand dunes; - Woods of Cuturi and Rosa Marina, and the Chidro river, located in the area of San Pietro in Bevagna. Among the essential visits, it is also right to mention the archaeological park of the Messapian Walls, with the remains of the Greek civilization.