Apulia · Lecce
Ugento
A Messapian-Roman town five kilometers from the Ionian, where a Baroque castle sits on the walls of the ancient city of Ozan.
Known for
OZAN MESSAPICA
Messapian city named on the fourth-century-BC Soleto Map, with walls and necropolis tombs still traceable on the edge of the modern centro.
ZEUS DI UGENTO
Bronze statue of Zeus cast around 530 BC, found in 1961 in a private cellar, now in the National Archaeological Museum of Taranto.
COSTA IONICA
Long Ionian sand strip with the Bandiera Blu marinas of Torre San Giovanni and Lido Marini, the town's summer engine.
When to visit
Best · May–Sep
- J
- F
- M
- A
- M
- J
- J
- A
- S
- O
- N
- D
- Best
- Hot or crowded
- Quiet
- Mostly closed
The festa: Vincenzo di Saragozza, 22 January
Why come
Ugento lies in lower Salento five kilometers from the Ionian coast, on the site of the Messapian city of Ozan, named on the fourth-century-BC Soleto Map. The Messapian walls of the fourth century BC are still traceable, and the necropolis of Cozza Petrosa preserves trullo-shaped chamber tombs typical of the civilization that held the lower peninsula between the seventh and third centuries BC. The Castello di Ugento began as a Norman motte-and-bailey on Messapian foundations and was rebuilt by the d'Amore family as a Baroque palazzo in the 1690s, with frescoed grand salons commissioned by Francesco and Nicola d'Amore in 1694.
The Zeus of Ugento, a 74-centimeter bronze cast around 530 BC, was found here by chance in 1961 and is now in the National Archaeological Museum of Taranto; a bronze copy stays in the local Nuovo Museo Archeologico. The marinas of Torre San Giovanni and Lido Marini carry the Bandiera Blu and most of the August traffic.
The Sunday letter
We haven’t written Ugento’s letter yet.
One town every Sunday, with the photo, the food, the festa. Be there when this one comes up. Free, by Peter & Sophia from Pietrasanta.
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What to see
Castello di Ugento
Norman fort rebuilt as a Baroque palazzo by the d'Amore family in the 1690s, with first-floor grand salons frescoed in 1694 to celebrate family history.
Nuovo Museo Archeologico
Town archaeological museum displaying Messapian finds, the Cozza Petrosa necropolis material and a bronze copy of the Zeus of Ugento.
Mura Messapiche e Necropoli di Cozza Petrosa
Fourth-century-BC Messapian walls and the trullo-shaped chamber tombs of the necropolis, the oldest layer of the city of Ozan.
Cattedrale di Maria Santissima Assunta
Baroque cathedral rebuilt between 1577 and 1855 on earlier foundations, with stuccoes and altars typical of late Salento Baroque.
Marine di Ugento
Coastal frazioni of Torre San Giovanni, Lido Marini, Torre Mozza and Fontanelle, with Bandiera Blu beaches and one of the longest sand strips of the Ionian Salento.
The slow-trip planner
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We recommend
Where to eat and stay
Not our picks, but places the guides put their name to — a Michelin star, a Gambero Rosso fork, a Slow Food snail, a Michelin Key for the hotels. Worth a table, a counter, or a night when you pass through.
Farnari Unconventional LocandaRistorante
Farnari Unconventional Locanda holds a Gambero Rosso listing.
La Bottega dei SaporiTrattoria
Two Gambero Rosso prawns, at La Bottega dei Sapori.
Living here
- Population 11,988
- Off the beaten pathi
- Pharmacy in town
- High school within a 30-minute drive
- Train station in the comune
- Nearest airport Bari / Brindisi, 3 h 2 min drive
- Regional capital Bari, 2 h 50 min drive
Tags & datadesignations · numbers · sources
Recognised as
The numbers
- Elevation: 108 m
- Population: 11,988
- Surface area: 100.4 km²
These figures were compiled from public directories — ISTAT, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata — and from the official listings of the guides named on this page. Town details change; verify with official sources before you travel.
Close by
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